(Riverton, WY) – The search continues for the car thief who stole a vehicle with a baby inside from a Riverton residence Sunday night, February 9, according to the latest update from Riverton Police Department (RPD) Chief Eric Hurtado.
The update from RPD states that at around 8:10 PM, a woman called to report that her car was stolen from N. Hill Street, right outside of her home.
“The caller told our dispatch that she was in the middle of unloading her car when someone stole her 2015 Grey Ford Escape from the front of her residence,” Chief Hurtado shared. “The woman had left her 3-month-old girl in the rear of the car, asleep in a car seat.”
Upon receiving the report, RPD “immediately started notifying nearby agencies,” including “BIA, Highway Patrol, FCSO, and SPD,” and even all off-duty Riverton Police officers and extra dispatchers were called in.
Additionally, Chief Hurtado shared that he reached out to newly appointed Riverton Fire Department Chief Jesse Cassity “to get more immediate assistance to keep an eye out for the stolen car in the hopes of quickly locating the car and bringing home the missing girl,” at which point Chief Cassity “immediately notified more than 50 RFD volunteers,” many of whom started checking their own neighborhoods to help with the search.
The temperature at the time the car was stolen added to the concerns for the baby’s well-being while the initial search began, which at the time was 20 degrees and dropping.
Chief Hurtado went on to share that the dispatch center was preparing an AMBER ALERT, when a possible sighting was reported.
“Around 8:30 PM, an alert neighbor spotted the car abandoned near Riverview and Blue Spruce Lane,” Chief Hurtado explained.
“BIA and RPD officers arrived to find the stolen car abandoned. The vehicle appeared to have possibly (been) involved in an accident, but there was not a driver in the vehicle.”
As reported last night, the baby was found unharmed, still in the car seat. The stolen car was apparently shut off when it was found, so the baby was transported to a local hospital to check for hypothermia as a precaution.
“The search continues for the car theft suspect(s) and our investigators are actively searching and reviewing any security video footage to attempt to identity the person(s) responsible,” Chief Hurtado also advised.
For anyone with information that may help the investigation, RPD can be reached at (307) 856-4891.
County 10 will provide further updates as they become available.