NEWS

CPD: Newborn wasn't missing in stolen car, mother charged

Rebecca Butts, and Patrick Brennan
Cincinnati
A Cincinnati police officer photographs the stolen and crashed car in the 1700 block of Prosperity Place.

The mother reported to police that her baby, Lamilyan McCollum, was home safe around 9:37 a.m., more than two hours after she and the car were reported stolen. Lt. Steve Saunders said investigators are working to determine how the baby was found and what happened while she was missing.

The vehicle was left running with the baby in the backseat outside of a home in the 700 block of Hopkins Street when it was stolen just after 7 a.m., police said. A witness called police to report it was taken by a man who fled toward Linn Street.

For almost three tense hours Thursday morning, Cincinnati police officers swarmed West End in search of an 18-day-old baby believed to have been taken when her mother’s car was stolen.

It turned out the car had been stolen, but the child, Lamilyan McCollum, was never in the vehicle.

Police issued alerts for the stolen vehicle. Officers converged on three locations: the West End home where the car was stolen; the Westwood Wal-Mart about 6 miles away, where the little girl was reportedly seen; and the West Price Hill site where the crumpled vehicle was found.

But, no baby.

In the end, Lamilyan was found safe at home just before 9:40 a.m. in the care of her mother, 28-year-old Nacole Benton.

The police investigation into Benton’s report revealed she had the child with her the entire time, said police Lt. Steve Saunders.

Benton left her home with the child between 20 and 30 minutes before she returned around 9:40 a.m. Meanwhile, the police search for Lamilyan was underway in multiple neighborhoods.

Benton left with Lamilyan to make it look like she was missing, Saunders said, and it remains unclear why she fabricated the story.

“I have to stress this has been a very trying day for not only our officers investigating. This yielded a tremendous amount of resources to try to locate this child,” Saunders said. “We put all of our resources in the Cincinnati Police Department and in the community, the media ... in trying to locate this child. We were successful in that, but at the same time, what led up to that is the reason the mother has been charged.”

Benton is charged with one count each of obstructing official business, making false alarms and inducing panic. Lamilyan and two other children were removed from Benton's home and are now in the custody of Hamilton County Job and Family Services.

Investigators were on high alert to find the newborn. It was not known whether she had been abandoned in the cold or whether she was taken by someone who intended to harm her.

The red car was left running outside a home in the 700 block of Hopkins Street when it was stolen just after 7 a.m. A witness called police to report it was taken by a man who fled toward Linn Street.

Officers issued a call to be on the lookout for a 2003 red Ford Fusion with Ohio license plate GSL4146. The vehicle was spotted with four male occupants near Western Hills University High School on Ferguson Road around 8:20 a.m. Police believe the suspects have some connection to the school.

After a short police pursuit, the car crashed on Prosperity Place and the four occupants fled. While the baby wasn’t in the car, police located a child’s car seat in the trunk.

Three of the occupants were apprehended in the area and taken for questioning. Two minors were later charged in the car theft – one for stealing the car and the other with receiving stolen property, Saunders said.

Several officers searched the area of the crash and surrounding businesses. At least eight police cruisers were parked in front of the nearby Wal-Mart on Ferguson Road after someone called police and said they spotted the baby there.

Before the baby was located, police apprehended the fourth suspect, the man investigators believe initially stole the vehicle, in the Hopkins Street area. Police could not confirm the time of his arrest and only said that he lives nearby.

Saunders declined to confirm whether the suspects and mother know one another.

Benton is scheduled to appear in court Friday morning.