Officers Reportedly Located the Child and Suspect Nearly 30 Minutes After a 911 Call
A 4-year-old girl who was abducted from a Santa Monica restaurant was found safe within hours, authorities said.
The Santa Monica Police Department responded to a distress call around 12:11 p.m. Friday after the child was taken from a Panda Express on Lincoln Boulevard. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Breanna Taylor Shields, was apprehended, and the child was rescued unharmed from the Holiday Motel, located less than half a mile from the restaurant.
The swift response followed a plea for help from the child’s grandmother. According to CBS News Los Angeles, more than 30 personnel, including officers, civilian workers, drone operators, and a K9 unit, canvassed the area.
Santa Monica police Lt. Erika Aklufi detailed the extensive search operation in an interview with ABC7, stating, “There were at least 30 of our department personnel out searching for her.”
Officers located the child and suspect nearly 30 minutes after the 911 call. Shields was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, a felony charge punishable by up to 11 years in prison. Her bail is set at $100,000, and she is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.
