Deputy finds abducted Florida infant in stolen SUV: video
A 1-year-old Florida girl was found unharmed inside an SUV hours after the running, unlocked vehicle was stolen, authorities said.
Bodycam video released Wednesday by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows the moment Tinnley Sage West — whose abduction Tuesday in Valrico prompted an Amber Alert – was rescued by Master Cpl. John Seale.
“You hurt, baby?” Seale asked the tot just before she began to cry. “You’re all right, baby … your mommy’s coming.”
Seale took Tinnley out of her car seat and tried to calm her as a second deputy arrived at a church in Brandon, where the girl was found at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Hours earlier, she was snoozing inside her family’s 2018 Volkswagen SUV that was stolen while her mother helped a relative carry packages into a Valrico home.
The church was some three miles away, deputies said.
“This is the best possible outcome we could have asked for, and it brought us a tremendous amount of joy and relief being able to return Tinnley West safely to her family,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “While I am thankful that the suspect did the right thing, he will still face consequences for his actions.”
Deputies later released surveillance video of the man suspected of stealing the SUV with Tinnley inside. The footage from a neighbor’s doorbell camera in Valrico showed the masked suspect — described as a young black male with a thin build — apparently peeking into a nearby home and ringing a doorbell before walking away.
No arrests in the case had been made as of Thursday, sheriff’s officials told The Post.
But the girl’s father had a stern warning for the suspect, WTSP reported.
“Don’t let me find you,” he told reporters.
Prior to stealing the SUV, the suspect was asking people in the neighborhood for a ride, Chronister said.
“No coincidence there,” the sheriff told the station.
Tinnley’s mother, meanwhile, thanked investigators for finding her daughter.
“We’re so grateful that Tinnley is home safe,” Chelsea Noriega wrote on Facebook. “A special thank you to Hillsborough county sheriffs office, for their quick and diligent work. lesson learned, for sure.”