The search for a missing 3-month-old girl who was reported missing after the car the baby was in was stolen Sunday evening ended in success after she was found safe Monday morning.
Police say the once-missing Dakota Grimes was found on a porch on Lakepoint Street in Detroit.
According to authorities, the incident began at around 1 a.m. when Grimes' father left the sleeping child in the back seat of a still-running four-door Chevrolet Impala outside a liquor store. However, when the father exited the store, a Whittier Mini Mart in the 16600 block of Harper Avenue, the car was gone, he told police.
The discovery prompted an Amber Alert to be issued for the missing child Monday morning, putting thousands on the lookout for both Grimes as well as the stolen Impala with rear bumper damage and a broken tail light.
Grimes was found around 8 a.m. on a porch about a mile away from where the car was stolen, causing the Amber Alert to be lifted. Police carried the baby to an ambulance to be checked over. There is no official update on her status.
Baby just loaded into Detroit ambulance. Appears okay. #local4 pic.twitter.com/W5Kc4yQFs7
— Nick Monacelli (@nickmonacelli) May 16, 2016
Speaking to the media about the incident, Dakota's grandmother, who asked to be identified as Mary, initially thought her daughter was joking when she told her that the infant was missing. It wasn't until she got the Amber Alert that she knew her daughter was serious.
"I got nine of them (children) of my own, and I know what it's like being a mother. I don't know what my daughter is going through right now. As a mother, I know how a mother feels about the safety of her children," Mary said. "I'm just happy that she's alive. Oh, my God. I'm so excited."
Though she is excited about Dakota's safety, she's not too happy that the father left her granddaughter in danger. However, she said she is trying to keep a level head until she learns everything that happened.
"Stuff happens, I get it. Stuff does happen. But, you know, hopefully, it's something they can both learn from. Let it be something that you learn from. Don't ever do this," she said.
In the meantime, while Dakota has been found safe, the Impala she was taken in is still missing.
Local authorities say the vehicle is a white 2006 Chevy Impala with a Michigan license plate reading CPG-8598. The driver's side rear bumper is damaged, and the trunk doesn't close properly. The driver's side rear light is broken and has red tape across it.
Anyone who has information about the stolen car has been asked to call 911.
