ELYRIA — A 31-year-old man is in custody after police say he drove away with a child inside a vehicle during an incident Friday morning involving the child’s mother, prompting a multi-agency search across Lorain County.
Officers with the Elyria Police Department were dispatched around 11:11 a.m. April 3 to the Friendship Gas Station on Beechwood Drive for a reported child abduction and stolen vehicle, according to police.
Police said a 27-year-old woman told officers she had been traveling near Interstate 90 and state Route 57 with her 6-year-old child and the child’s father, identified as Luis Manuel Gonzalez Rodriguez, 31.
Argument leads to alleged abduction
During an argument, the woman exited the vehicle. Investigators said Rodriguez then got into the driver’s seat and drove away with the child still inside.
As the vehicle left, the woman was briefly on the hood before Rodriguez stopped and allowed her to get off, police said. He then left the scene with the child, the vehicle and the woman’s cell phone.
The woman walked to a nearby gas station and contacted police. Authorities determined Rodriguez does not have custodial rights to the child.
A “Be On the Lookout” alert was issued to surrounding agencies, and the child was entered into law enforcement databases as an endangered missing juvenile.
Search leads to Lorain
The stolen vehicle was found unoccupied around 12:20 p.m. at a storage facility on Toledo Avenue in Lorain. Multiple agencies assisted in the search, including the Lorain Police Department, North Ridgeville Police Department, Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Authorities found Rodriguez and the child around 1:50 p.m. at a residence on 39th Street in Lorain. Rodriguez was taken into custody without incident, and the child was safely returned to the mother.
Suspect jailed as investigation continues
Rodriguez has been charged with two counts of kidnapping, child endangering, interference with custody, motor vehicle theft and theft. He is being held at the Lorain County Jail without bond pending his initial court appearance.
Elyria Police Captain Bill Lantz credited the quick resolution to coordinated efforts among responding agencies.
“The safe recovery of this child is a direct result of the outstanding teamwork, communication, and dedication demonstrated by our officers, dispatchers, detectives and law enforcement partners,” Lantz said in a statement.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Detective Catalano at 440-326-1213.