A dramatic recording revealed the moment a Georgia mother desperately cried out for help after realizing her car had been stolen with her two-year-old daughter still in the back seat.
The Atlanta Police Department said it learned the toddler had been taken when responding to a vehicle theft and kidnapping report at 930 Spring Street NW around 4.36pm on Thursday.
In the 911 call, which was published by law enforcement one day later, the panicked mother cried inconsolably while describing what had happened.
‘I was dropping off an Instacart order and I came back outside and my car is gone,’ the mother, who has not been named, said. ‘My daughter was inside.’
Authorities said Saleem Martin, 21, was taken into custody once officers tracked the car down within 15 minutes using license plate readers around Atlanta.
Body camera footage showed the moment Martin, wearing a purple shirt, was removed from the back seat of the car by police as the toddler wailed nonstop.
After being reunited with her daughter, the mother asked her ‘why the bottom of her dress was unbuttoned,’ per Martin’s arrest warrant cited by 11Alive.
The toddler replied that ‘the man did it,’ according to the reported warrant.
Saleem Martin, 21, was arrested Thursday after allegedly stealing a Georgia mother’s car with her two-year-old daughter still inside
Martin is now facing charges of kidnapping, theft by taking, simple battery, entering an automobile, cruelty to children and criminal attempt to commit a felony
Once her little girl said that, the mom confirmed that she was referring to ‘the male that was driving the car,’ the outlet added.
Police found Martin with ‘both his hands on’ the toddler’s torso, per the warrant.
He was allegedly attempting to ‘duck down and hide in between the seat’ at the time of his arrest.
Martin has been charged with kidnapping, theft by taking, simple battery, entering an automobile, cruelty to children and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
He allegedly told investigators that he was only touching the girl ‘because he wanted to calm her down,’ according to the reported warrant.
He claimed to have parked at the Publix on Howell Mill Road because the toddler was crying.
The accused kidnapper alleged he had seen the mom’s car running and jumped in because he was ‘trying to get back to New Jersey.’
Fulton County court records said that Martin lived in Piscataway.
Martin was discovered by police with ‘both his hands on’ the toddler’s torso when he was taken into custody
Martin told police that he had parked at the Publix on Howell Mill Road (pictured) because the little girl was crying and that he was only touching her ‘because he wanted to calm her down’
Martin told police that he did not initially notice the little girl in the backseat of the car, per the reported warrant.
Once he realized there was also an iPad in the car, he allegedly told investigators that he dumped the device ‘because he knew there was tracking on it.’
He also said he had been trying to hide in the back seat after noticing ‘a few patrol vehicles driving past the location,’ the reported warrant added.
But after Martin’s initial explanations, he then allegedly ‘stated he did not want to answer any more questions.’
According to the warrant, the mom said she was out of her car for no more than four minutes.
The video of Martin’s arrest showed how the child bawled incessantly after being found, but Atlanta police said that she was unharmed and had been reunited with her parents.
Bodycam footage showed how one of the officers reassured the toddler, ‘It’s okay, baby,’ while taking Martin into custody.
Martin, who lives in Piscataway, New Jersey, according to court records, allegedly told police he took the car because he was ‘trying to get back’ to his home state
In a 911 call released by Atlanta police, the distressed mother said that she had been dropping off an Instacart order when she returned outside and found her car missing (Stock photo)
Martin appeared in court for the first time on Friday and was denied bond, according to Fulton County records viewed by the Daily Mail.
He is scheduled to return to court on August 24 for a pre-indictment preliminary hearing.
As of Sunday afternoon, an attorney had not been listed for Martin in court records.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Atlanta Police Department for further comment.
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