JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Belton man has been charged in Monday’s AMBER Alert situation, in which a car was stolen from a Raytown gas station with a child inside.
Robert R. Mitchell, 34, is charged with felony child kidnapping and felony stealing. He remained Tuesday morning in the Jackson County Detention Center on $75,000 bond.
Police said a father ran into the Phillips 66 gas station at 61st Street and Blue Ridge Boulevard in Raytown on Monday morning, leaving his car running outside with his 2-year-old son inside. That’s when police say Mitchell stole the car, prompting the Missouri Highway Patrol to issue an AMBER Alert. A driver noticed the vehicle on the roadway a short time later and called 911, leading to a police chase that reached speeds as high as 100 miles per hour.
With a child’s life potentially hanging in the balance, and with authorities unwilling to let the vehicle get away, police used spike-strips to stop the car on 131 Highway east of Pittsville. The suspect was arrested at the scene, and the child was safely recovered.
The young boy’s father told police he ran into the gas station to warm up food for his son. Police warned the public to never leave their car running unattended, especially with a child inside.
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