Found Safe GA - Blaise Barnett, 1, sitting in car when stolen, later found abandoned, Clarkston, 10 Nov 2021

[alucardsdream]

No. You'd have to have seen them tossed in the cupholder. To have been up that close... Ford ignition keys for that model are pretty large and distinct IIRC. It wouldn't be hard to quickly pick out the ignition key. I've had several Explorers. But you'd have to have seen them tossed there to move that quick.

I used to drive my parents' 2001 Ford Explorer Sport...it had a big, chunky key BUT it also had keypad entry. Whenever I went to concerts I would lock the keys inside so I couldn't lose them and use the keypad to get back in. I wouldn't leave them in it without locking it, though.

 

[gingerbread]

(Completely OT, but @gingerbread I love the dog in your profile picture!)[/QUOTE]
Awww thanks! That’s our Moose, and he is such a good boy!

 

[katydid23]

I just bought a used car in georgia on October 2 and my dealer-issued temp tag expires November 16. Exactly 45 calendar days. My permanent tag arrived on November 1 in the mail. Imo it’s pretty safe to assume the Explorer was purchased in the last month.

It’s an odd situation to me.
-a 20 year old vehicle
-stolen within 30 seconds of two adults exiting with a child and bags of groceries, I assume the thief saw the adults leaving
-from an apartment parking lot
-I assume doors or the back trunk were left open
-child in car seat, unknown if he was sleeping or awake

Don't you bring the babies in first and go back out for the groceries? And why wasn't the car locked at the v very least?

I just got to this thread, so I am way behind. But at this point, my hinky meter is on red alert...

 

[katydid23]

I used to drive my parents' 2001 Ford Explorer Sport...it had a big, chunky key BUT it also had keypad entry. Whenever I went to concerts I would lock the keys inside so I couldn't lose them and use the keypad to get back in. I wouldn't leave them in it without locking it, though.

Yes, I have an old Ford Explorer, 2010 I believe, was new when I purchased it. It has the keypad entry. I lock it when I am just leaving the car for a minute, and can use the keypad to re-enter.

I dont know why it was unlocked with a baby inside.

 

[katydid23]

This is my question as well. I’m raising my grandson who is almost 2 and never in a million years would I go out grocery shopping at this time.

And the baby had a diaper but no pants on. So he probably didn't go into the store, did he? Isn't it too cold for that at 1 am?

There were 2 adults and 2 small kids. Why not just one adult go pick up the groceries? I don't get it.

 

[Shamrock1]

Don't you bring the babies in first and go back out for the groceries? And why wasn't the car locked at the v very least?

I just got to this thread, so I am way behind. But at this point, my hinky meter is on red alert...

Not always. A kid in a car seat is strapped in and safe. A kid is more likely to get hurt in the house, alone while mom gets groceries, than he is safety confined to a car seat IMO. (Yes, the car should be locked).

 

[katydid23]

Not always. A kid in a car seat is strapped in and safe. A kid is more likely to get hurt in the house, alone while mom gets groceries, than he is safety confined to a car seat IMO. (Yes, the car should be locked).

But weren't mom and dad both there at the time? I may have it wrong.

Just edited to add---BOTH parents were bringing in groceries. No need to leave a baby alone at 1am in an unlocked car. One could have stayed with him for that 30 seconds or they each could bring one kid inside, and come back out for groceries.

ETA:
Amber Alert issued for abducted 1-year-old Clarkston boy

Investigators say around 1 a.m., Barnett was sleeping inside his family's SUV while they went to put some groceries away in their home. Though they were only gone for a moment, officials say someone stole the car with the toddler still in it.

 

[TGIRecovered]

Baby size car seats don't stay in the car. The carseat detaches from the base and you bring it inside with the baby still strapped safely in the seat. When it's time to leave again, it's much easier to strap baby in , carry baby in the seat to the car and set it on the base, which automatically locks it in.

There would be no reason to leave the baby alone in a car while unloading. MOO

 

[katydid23]

I would never (knowingly) leave my vehicle unattended or unsecured, with the keys inside, and certainly not if I had a child in there. However, I realize that sometimes exhaustion, distraction, illness etc., can cause anyone to deviate from their normal routine, and make a mistake. I hope that this child is found safe.

True. But it seems that most parents have a high alert about walking away from an infant, at 1 am, in an apartment parking lot. One would have to be really distracted to do that, imo. It just goes against basic parental impulse to walk away from an unlocked vehicle, with a baby and the keys inside, at 1 am.

 

[swanniee11]

Don't you bring the babies in first and go back out for the groceries? And why wasn't the car locked at the v very least?

I just got to this thread, so I am way behind. But at this point, my hinky meter is on red alert...

Says everyone, everywhere! UGH!

 

[katydid23]

Actually just reminded myself of something. A lot of Fords have a keypad on the driver door. In the winter, on the way to work, I'd pull into QT and leave it running, manually lock it, use the keypad to get back in.

I don't remember any pics showing the driver door. Anyone else notice if it had a keypad?

I've done that before in my explorer. in the summer when my dogs were in the car and I had to run inside somewhere quickly. I'd leave the a/c on, car running, doors locked, and use the keypad to get back in.

 

[Vern]

Where are they supposed to have had the car parked in this pic? Also do you see street lights or a bus stop like the mom mentioned?

The street light and bus stop are on the main road just to the left of the entrance to the complex parking lot.

 

[TTF14]

There would be no reason to leave the baby alone in a car while unloading. MOO

Sure there would. If baby is sleeping and you feel safe in your environment. I once left my child inside the car in my garage after unloading groceries. It wasn't long before I realized what I did.....but I did it!

 

[TGIRecovered]

Sure there would. If baby is sleeping and you feel safe in your environment. I once left my child inside the car in my garage after unloading groceries. It wasn't long before I realized what I did.....but I did it!

You are right, there are situations such as parking in the garage or being in a safe place that would not be unreasonable.
I should have quoted the post that prompted my speculation about leaving the baby alone in this particular case. Someone posted that the baby would be safer outside in the carseat than alone in the home. My point was that it's easier and safer to just take the carseat in with the baby. Please forgive my miscommunication!

 

[swanniee11]

I keep typing and back spacing because I want nothing more then the parents timeline to be on point and this child to be found safe. I do have some issue with all of this though. IMO

 

[Turkeytrot]

The comment about him crying bothered me and I couldn't figure out why. Then I remembered Braylen Noble's mom said the same thing about him

 

[Turkeytrot]

I asked myself.. If I'm going to potentially get busted stealing a vehicle, would I risk it for one that is almost 20 years old? But then I thought about the GPS / tracking in newer vehicles, And maybe that makes an older model an "easy" steal.

But unless you know how to hotwire it..banking on the keys being inside is a huge risk.

And maybe you happened to get so lucky and it's unlocked, with the keys inside. So you take off. Maybe you look in the rearview and see a baby in the back. Hard to imagine taking the baby versus ditching the car and running like hell, as others have said - that's more than someone stealing a vehicle is going to bother with.

So either this family was targeted/Blaise was specifically targeted and taken, or something else is at play here.

 

[Knox]

Where are they supposed to have had the car parked in this pic? Also do you see street lights or a bus stop like the mom mentioned?

Yes, I do see the bus stop and street lights, down the street from the driveway. There is also a street light right at the edge of the driveway where they were parked. IIRC parents said they were parked with the passenger side door facing the stairs, meaning the headlights would have been shining down into the sidewalk. So it's possible that helped Dad see all those clothing details in the 15/16 male teen who was walking by, JMO.
Google Maps
Google Maps

 

[Knox]

Allen Devlin[URL='https://twitter.com/DevlinCBS46']@DevlinCBS46[/URL]
#BOLO Police are still searching for missing 1-year-old Blaise Barnett. He’s been missing since 1a.m Wednesday morning after the vehicle he was in was stolen. I’ve got the emotional plea from his mother to bring her son home coming up on cbs46 at 11

 

[PigPong]

Sure there would. If baby is sleeping and you feel safe in your environment. I once left my child inside the car in my garage after unloading groceries. It wasn't long before I realized what I did.....but I did it!

It's not an area I would leave my keys in my car unattended, let alone my child.