Authorities are searching for 1-year-old Royalty Grisby, who was kidnapped during a vehicle theft in DeKalb County early Thursday morning.
By Chelsea Prince, John Spink and Henri Hollis
Atlantans weary of recent bad news breathed a sigh of relief Thursday: a 1-year-old girl abducted when her mother’s car was stolen in DeKalb County was found safe, more than 12 hours after she was kidnapped.
Royalty Grisby was located when a passerby heard a baby crying on the porch of a home on Stoneleigh Hill Road in Lithonia, DeKalb police Chief Mirtha Ramos said Thursday afternoon during a news conference at police headquarters.
The passerby checked on the baby and, after realizing that she matched Royalty’s description, immediately called 911, Ramos said. The baby girl was reunited with her mother, Elizabeth Grisby, at the location where she was found before being taken to the hospital as a precaution. The child appeared to be healthy, according to Ramos.
Malachi Richardson, the teenage suspect in the case, was located off Bolton Road in Atlanta earlier in the afternoon and taken into custody, police announced. At that point, Royalty was still missing, so police believe she was left on the porch by someone other than Richardson.
“Thank you to all who shared,” Ramos said in a news release. “One-year-old Royalty Grisby has been located safe and returned to her mother!”
Elizabeth Grisby was delivering food in the 1200 block of Harvest Dale Circle early Thursday morning when her Nissan SUV, its engine left running, was stolen with her daughter still inside, according to police. Ramos said she believes Richardson called in the food order as a setup and intended to rob the delivery driver.
A Levi’s Call, Georgia’s Amber Alert system, was issued for the child shortly before 7 a.m., five hours after Grisby reported the kidnapping. She said she heard a car door slam and turned around to see her maroon Nissan Armada rolling down the street.
She ran after the vehicle for as long as she could.
“I just want my baby home,” Grisby told reporters through tears during an earlier news conference. “That’s it. I just want her. You can take her to the hospital. You can take her anywhere. You can take her to a store. Just bring her home.”
Elizabeth Grisby (center) is supported by DeKalb County police Chief Mirtha Ramos (left) as the search for Grisby’s 1-year-old daughter continues Thursday.
She lives in the area and often delivers for DoorDash at night while Royalty is asleep. In a statement, the company called the kidnapping “absolutely heinous” and said it worked with the FBI and local law enforcement.
“I had my keys in my pocket, and the only reason I didn’t lock the door was because I was in a residential neighborhood, a nice neighborhood,” the mother said. “I didn’t think anything like that would happen.”
The Nissan’s tags were changed when police found it abandoned in a neighborhood off Young Road about 9 a.m. But there was no sign of Royalty, so the search continued into the afternoon.
The Grisby family’s maroon Nissan Armada was found about 9 a.m. in a neighborhood off Young Road. The missing girl was not inside.
Richardson lives in the area and was believed to be connected to both crime scenes, Ramos said. He was charged with kidnapping and theft by taking. Police also spoke with Richardson’s mother Thursday afternoon.
Multiple local, state and federal agencies joined in the effort to assist DeKalb police as they scoured the county.
The possibility of a second suspect could not be ruled out after Royalty was found about 25 miles from the area where Richardson was captured less than an hour earlier.
DeKalb police are setting up a command post at the corner of Redan and Hairston roads as the search continues for 1-year-old Royalty Grisby.
The investigation is ongoing and police are asking anyone with additional information to contact them. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
Read the original story on AJC.com.
