Man Gets 13 Years For Stealing Car With Baby Inside
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – A 34-year-old man was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison in Ramsey County Court on Wednesday in connection with the Dec. 23, 2010, theft of a motor vehicle with a baby inside.
Brandon Joseph Houge will spend 13 years and two months behind bars in connection with the incident. According to court documents, Houge pleaded guilty on July 20 to one felony count of kidnapping and one felony count of motor vehicle theft.
According to a criminal complaint, Houge was accused of stealing a car with an infant inside it from a residence on the 200 block of Magnolia Avenue East at 8:27 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2010. The child's father told police that he left the car running for less than two minutes while he went inside his residence.
When Houge realized the car he stole had an infant inside, he drove to Maplewood and abandoned the child next to an apartment complex in 22 degree weather. Neighbors in the area heard the baby's cries and contacted St. Paul Police.
