Man, woman arraigned in carjacking, kidnapping of 2-year-old baby in Lawrence
A man and woman are facing kidnapping charges after Lawrence police say they stole a car with a toddler inside on Monday night.
Adam Maksou and Jamie Garrity, both 36, of Methuen, made their first appearance before a judge Tuesday afternoon in Lawrence District Court. Both defendants are ordered held on high bail.
Officers responding to a report of a 2011 Honda Pilot SUV that had been stolen from in front of a business on the 100 block of South Broadway around 8 p.m. learned a 2-year-old girl, Emma Buth, was inside the vehicle in question, police said.
The entire ordeal began at about 8 pm Monday when a mother left her unattended baby in the backseat of her running car while she stopped at a barber shop on South Broadway.
Authorities say Maksou jumped in the car and drove off.
While the mother called the police, allegedly Maksou drove to Garrity’s home in Methuen, picked her up, and together drove to his father’s house with the baby in the backseat.
The father, police say, told them to bring the baby back, or to a fire station.
Instead, police say, the pair drove to Lawrence General Hospital, with Garrity behind the wheel. The father then called the police.
Authorities allege that Garrity watched as Maksou carried the baby inside Lawrence General Hospital found a woman inside and handed the baby over, asking the woman to hold the baby while he went out and parked his car.
Maksou and Garrity were taken into custody following a police pursuit on the southbound side of Interstate 495 in Chelmsford that later ended when the stolen vehicle ran out of fuel in the area of Route 62 in Berlin after 9:30 p.m.
The suspects allegedly resisted arrest but were eventually subdued by Chelmsford police officers.
The child was reunited with her family unharmed.
Maksou has been charged with kidnapping, larceny of a motor vehicle, and reckless endangerment to a child. Garrity is charged with kidnapping and receiving a stolen motor vehicle.
Garrity was hit with an additional charge of providing a false name at booking after police say she initially identified herself as Erin Clark, 29, of Haverhill.
The mother of the two-year-old is not facing any criminal charges for leaving her child unattended in the running car, however, DCF is investigating the case.
Maksou and Garrity were not known to the mother.
Chelmsford police say they plan to file additional charges against the pair at a later date. The incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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