2016 Toddler Kidnapping Case: Monterey Co. Man Pleads No Contest

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — A man accused of stealing a vehicle with a 2-year old baby inside in 2016 in Soledad has pleaded no contest to several crimes, Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo announced Wednesday. Prosecutors said Carmen Rogelio Maldonado, 28, of Gonzales, has pleaded no contest to charges of kidnapping a child under the age of 14, child abuse and auto theft.

Maldonado will receive an eight-year prison term in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, prosecutors said. Around 6:45 a.m. on April 14, 2016, Maldonado stole a black 2015 Honda Accord from the driveway of a residence in Soledad, prosecutors said.

The vehicle had a 2-year-old baby boy secured in the back seat. The father of the child had momentarily left the child and the car unattended to run back inside the residence. After the theft, the father called 911, the Soledad Police Department responded and the California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert.
Investigators determined Maldonado drove the vehicle north on U.S.

Highway 101 and parked the car in a shed off River Road. He then locked the child in the car and took a bag containing the child's asthma medication, prosecutors said. The child was located around 1:30 p.m. and was rescued unharmed. Maldonado is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 1.

By Bay City News

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