3-year-old was Sleeping with His Father in Home; Kidnapped by Woman who Broke into Their Home in South Carolina

Richland County deputies charged a woman with kidnapping a three-year-old boy near Columbia early Sunday morning.

According to officers, Atia Monay Thomas, 40, is charged with one count of kidnapping in connection with the abduction that occurred at 2 a.m. on Meetze Road. That’s right off Broad River Road near the St. Andrews neighborhood.

Deputies stated the youngster’s mother approached a deputy along Broad River Road and reported that her child was gone. According to authorities, the boy fell asleep in his father’s arms, and when the man awoke, his son had left the house and the front door was open. The parents immediately began scanning the area.

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A short time after deputies were notified of the issue, another person reported to a different deputy that he had seen the boy while driving down Meetze Road. The man told the officer that she approached the young boy and claimed to know where he lived and would take him home.

Deputies stated the woman was unfamiliar to the family and did not return the youngster. Deputies discovered a door cam footage from a home that authorities say showed the youngster being carried by the woman.

The sheriff’s department dispatched more units to the location, including K9s, a drone, and Columbia police officers.

During the search, deputies claimed the father saw the lady with his son and snatched him away from her before she fled in an Uber vehicle. Family members of the youngster noticed the vehicle shortly after, and deputies were able to pursue it and convince the driver to pull over. Deputies determined that Thomas matched the description of the woman shown in the video.

Law authorities said they spotted the woman taking the child to her home, changing his clothes, and then attempting to depart the area with the child, prompting them to file the case. The Uber driver was found not to be affiliated with Thomas and was freed.

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