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Deputies: Mom stops kidnapping of toddler son
Flagler County sheriff's deputies say a woman walked into a family's home and grabbed a toddler by the arm. The toddler has since been reunited with family.
PALM COAST, Fla. - A mother is relieved that her child is okay after a very scary situation in their own home.
Nolda Jean Pierre-Theolin, 26, is accused of entering the home and grabbing her son. She is now charged with attempted kidnapping and burglary.
"She says, 'This is my baby! Come here, come here! Oh, my baby, come here!'" said Katherine Sanchez, describing the moment she said a stranger walked into her home and tried taking her 3-year-old son, Gabriel. "I say, 'This is not your baby! Get out!' and she didn’t want to get out."
According to deputies, Pierre-Theolin got into the home through an open garage door.
"She says, 'Come here, baby!' She kissed him and tried to get him," Sanchez said, adding that her son was scared and confused.
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Sanchez said she walked outside with Gabriel so the woman would follow them. Neighbors called 911 and deputy’s arrived shortly after that.
"We set up a perimeter and ultimately one of our deputies got the suspect," explained Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. "We’ve had some encounters with her in the past-- mostly minor shoplifting, criminal mischief, and some mental health issues."
The sheriff said the woman also went into another home uninvited, but they told her to leave.
"We just implemented some mental health initiatives in the jail. She’s in our custody," Staly added.
Sanchez is relieved little Gabriel wasn’t injured. Meanwhile, Sheriff Staly reminds everyone to lock their doors to prevent a situation like this one.
Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest news.
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