A California preschooler was allegedly abducted by a homeless woman on Friday – before authorities quickly tracked down the pair in a nearby hotel room.
Around 12:11 p.m. local time June 12, authorities received a “frantic call” from a grandmother who claimed that her 4-year-old granddaughter had been kidnapped from a Panda Express in Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Police Department said.
Police subsequently reviewed surveillance footage of the suspect, who was described as a heavyset white female in her 30s traveling on foot with the child, according to authorities.
“All available field resources, including more than 30 sworn and civilian personnel, flooded the area, searching for the subject,” police said.
Less than 30 minutes later, at 12:37 p.m., officers with the Downtown Services Unit located the young girl and the suspect in a room at the Holiday Motel down the block from the restaurant.
“Thankfully, the child was unharmed and the suspect was taken into custody,” Santa Monica police confirmed.
The suspect – later identified as Breanna Taylor Shields, 31 – was booked on kidnapping charges.
Shields appeared to have been living at the Holiday Motel and was experiencing homelessness, KTLA5 reported.
“Our heartfelt best wishes go out to the child and her family as they deal with the shock of this ordeal,” police said. “We will do everything we can to make sure they are helped through this time and also to make sure no stone is left unturned in the investigation.”
The Santa Monica Police Department did not immediately return The Post’s request for an update on the case.
A few weeks before the alleged kidnapping, Santa Monica residents told KTLA5 that they were concerned about about an uptick in crime in the enclave.
Mayor Phil Brock has requested emergency funds in order to beef up police presence in the city’s retail and residential areas — but he also wants help from the court system, the district attorney and the state, the outlet reported.
“Some of the same crime patterns, some of the same theft, some of the same behavior comes from unhinged homeless people who are on drugs or mentally ill,” Brock said. “It [also] comes from people who cross the border and say, ‘Hey, Santa Monica is lucrative, let’s make some of our money here.’”
