Raul Ortega charged after being accused of stealing car with 1-year-old inside
A man has been formally charged after he was was accused of stealing a car with a baby inside before the child was recovered safely.
Suspect Raul Ortega, 51, was charged with Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft Thursday after he was accused of stealing a vehicle with a 1-year-old child inside in Commerce on July 9 and then found in Brighton, the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced.
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CBS4 originally reported the car theft happened just before noon at a gas station in Commerce City. The child's mother was driving a Nissan Altima when it was taken by a man following a fight. Ortega was later named as the suspect. He's accused of driving away from the gas station when the mother's baby and her 10-year-old were still inside.
The 10-year-old was able to jump out of the car before the suspect got away completely from the area, but the baby remained.
First responders eventually caught up to the suspect with the stolen vehicle and the child, bringing Ortega into custody and the baby to safety.