Baby Found After Mom Said Car Was Stolen With Him Inside; Police Say He Was Most Likely Safe All Along
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A baby has been found after a mother told police a car was stolen with him inside near Marquette Park Monday afternoon, and police said he was most likely safe all along.
Police said the car was found more than nine miles away after the mother first made her report, but the baby was not there. Police spent the majority of the day looking for the baby, Jaylen Mojica.
Police said hours afterward that the baby was safe.
Meanwhile, a source also told CBS 2's Brad Edwards the mother's story was "changing."
Police told CBS 2's Charlie De Mar that Jaylen was most likely safe all along. Detectives said late Monday that they were still sorting everything out.
De Mar asked if the mother could face charges, and police replied it was "unclear now, but possible."
The 30-year-old woman initially told police she got out of her vehicle at 12:46 p.m. and walked into a convenience store in the 2700 block of West 71st Street, police said.
The woman told initially police she returned to find that her car had been stolen by a thief who drove off north on California Avenue, police said.
The woman said her 7-month-old baby boy was inside. Late Monday afternoon, police issued an endangered missing child alert for Jaylen.
Police initially said the woman had left the silver Honda CR-V running.
The car was later in an empty lot in the 1400 block of South Keeler Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood, more than nine miles away from the original scene.
Police: Car stolen from the 2700 block of w 71st w an infant inside.
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) October 26, 2020
It appears the car was dumped at 1400 s Keeler. The child is not on the scene at this time. Unclear where child is. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/5e2VaotBAz
The car had purple writing on that reads, "Help," and, "More candy" -- possibly for Halloween, CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported. The car is registered to a home in downstate Peoria.
The car was towed away before 5:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, police dogs were sent to 61st Street and Fairfield Avenue, 10 blocks north of the original crime scene, looking for Jaylen. Police also searched in other city neighborhoods.
No AMBER Alert was ever issued for Jaylen.
Late Monday night, there were a lot of questions as to how the narrative changed from Jaylen being missing to likely being fine all along.
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