Man arrested after allegedly stealing vehicle with 7-month-old baby inside

Authorities arrested James Wilson, 44, on Monday for allegedly stealing a vehicle at a Jackson gas station. The vehicle had been occupied with a 7-month-old child.

Public Information Officer Tommie Brown said Wilson has been charged with auto theft and kidnapping. Brown said Wilson was arrested by Capitol Police at the Olive Tree Hotel in Jackson.

On Saturday, July 6, Jackson police began searching for a 7-month-old girl who was kidnapped while she was in a vehicle that was stolen from the 500 block of Beasley Road.

Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said the child was left in the vehicle that was running outside of a Shell gas station on Beasley Road near I-55 north. According to police, the vehicle was then taken by Wilson from the specified location.

According to Wade, Wilson abandoned the vehicle at Brent's Drugs in the Fondren neighborhood.

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Wade said the child was located in the abandoned vehicle and unharmed. She was transported to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

Wade said the police department is in communication with the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services and the U.S. District Attorney's office to determine if any charges such as child neglect will be pursued against the child's mother.

"Please do not leave your children and vehicles unattended," Wade said. "Please don't leave your vehicle running unattended, with small children in the vehicle or anyone in the vehicle. You can replace that car, but you cannot replace that baby."