Crime & Safety

Updated: Amber Alert Canceled: Abducted Infant Found

An 11-month-old girl who was inside a Jeep that was stolen from San Jose Monday morning is missing.

Update: 12:30 p.m. Monday, March 25: The San Jose Police Department said it has located the missing 11-month-old San Jose infant Gabriela Quintero and the 2006 Jeep Liberty that was taken.

At approximately 11:17 a.m., the SJPD's 9-1-1 communications center received a report from a citizen that they spotted the suspect vehicle in the driveway of a carport area in the 400 block of Amargosa Court in San Jose.

Officers arrived on scene at 11:22 a.m. and located the Jeep with the infant still seated in the backseat.

Find out what's happening in Los Gatoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The officer assessed the infant and she did not appear injured. She was transported to a local hospital as a precaution.

A uniformed officer rode in the ambulance with the infant and robbery detectives are with the mother and en route to reunite her with her daughter, police said in a media advisory.

Find out what's happening in Los Gatoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remains ongoing and no information is being released regarding which hospital the infant was taken to, police said.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Update: 11:50 a.m. Monday, March 25: The California Highway Patrol is reporting that the infant girl who was inside a white Jeep Liberty stolen from San Jose this morning has been found.

The vehicle was located on Capitol Expressway in San Jose. CHP officials said they don't know yet if suspect has been taken into custody.

The Amber Alert has been canceled.

Patch will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

An Amber Alert has been issued for an infant girl who was inside a white Jeep Liberty that was stolen from San Jose this morning, police said.

The car was taken at about 6:40 a.m. in the 2300 block of Amador Court, off of Story Road, a few blocks from Interstate Highway 680.

The mother, Graciella Quintero, had placed her 11-month-old daughter Gabriella in a car seat in the backseat of the Jeep but had not yet strapped her in, San Jose police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said.

Quintero was bringing items from her house to her car and stepped away from the Jeep momentarily, leaving the key in the ignition with the engine off, Dwyer said. When she came back outside she saw the Jeep driving away.

Her daughter, whose first birthday is in four days, was gone, police said.

She called police, who arrived within three minutes, Dwyer said.

The suspect is believed to be a woman described as white or Hispanic and in her 30s, wearing a dark top and dark pants and carrying a red-and-white Target bag. Quintero, who is a single mother, did not recognize the suspect but saw her standing nearby before the car was stolen, Dwyer said.

"The mother is understandably shaken," Dwyer said. "It's very difficult to interview someone in that condition."

It is unclear whether the car thief knew there was a baby in the Jeep, but Dwyer said police are treating the case as a stranger abduction. "We've been treating this as if a little girl's life is held in the balance," he said.

About 40 San Jose police officers are looking for the Jeep and the girl, and law enforcement agencies throughout the Bay Area are on alert.

The California Highway Patrol is involved, and an aerial search is being conducted.

Police are contacting neighbors to see if any of them have surveillance cameras that may have captured images of the suspect. Gabriella was wearing a green "onesie" with gray sheep on it at the time of the theft, police said.

Her car seat is purple. The Jeep Liberty is described as white with a spare tire attached to the rear, and a sticker showing two babies kissing each other. The license plate number is 6BWK440.

Anyone who sees the vehicle is asked to call 911.

Copyright © 2013 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.