Woman Jailed After Allegedly Kidnapping Infant, Stealing Police Car Near Warden
A Grant County woman is behind bars after authorities say she kidnapped an infant and led deputies on a pursuit in a stolen police car while handcuffed near Warden.
The Grant County Sheriff's Office says it began at around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday when deputies responded to the report of a domestic disturbance at a residence on Main Street in Warden.
A female caller had reportedly told police that 21-year-old Rita Gabriella Lozano of Moses Lake drove away from the location in a stolen vehicle with a two-month-old infant that was not her own.
Approximately 15 minutes later, a separate caller reported a possible drunk driver after spotting a vehicle being driven erratically near Roads 3 Northeast and S Northeast. The vehicle matched the description of the one Lozano had allegedly stolen and officers were able to box it in between Roads S Northeast and T Northeast. They took Lozano into custody and safely recovered the infant.
Sheriff's Office spokesperson, Kyle Foreman, says recovering the child was the first priority.
"Everyone who had their radio on yesterday had their ears perked up to listen to this call because we had a two-month-old baby at risk in the back of a stolen vehicle being driven by someone who was obviously intoxicated. That was our main priority. It was getting our hands on that baby and getting that baby back to the family. The baby is in fine condition and was not at all injured. This could have had a much different outcome and we're very glad that it didn't"
Although deputies were able to safely retrieve the infant, Foreman says they weren't quite finished pursuing Lozano just yet.
"The gal who took the vehicle (Lozano) was placed in handcuffs and put in the back of a Warden Police car. She was then was able to contort herself and get her hands in front of her and then crawled from the back seat to the front seat between the partition of the police car, since it was apparently unlatched. She then got into the driver's seat and drove away in the Warden Police car."
Foreman says deputies were able to stop Lozano about a half-mile away by pinning it and Lozano was taken back into custody.
She was transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake for a medical evaluation and later booked into the Grant County Jail for investigation of second-degree kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and theft of a motor vehicle.
One deputy sustained minor injuries during the incident and three law enforcement vehicles were damaged.
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