3-year-old deserted from stolen automobile in North Carolina discovered protected, suspect in custody

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (WGHP) — A 3-year-old child was found safe Saturday night after a man allegedly stole a car with the child inside while the mother was inside a convenience store, Winston-Salem police said.

It happened about 9:35 pm at the Sheetz location on 1551 Glenn Center Drive.

According to police, the child’s mother told officers that she went into the Sheetz to make a purchase and left her child inside her 2004 Toyota Highlander with the motor running. When she came out, she realized that the SUV and her child had been taken.

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Police called for a regional lookout for the car and the missing child, and around 45 minutes later, Thomasville police received a call about a child being abandoned in a car seat on the 200 block of Winston Street. Officers then confirmed it was the missing 3-year-old.

The child was reunited with his mother and evaluated by Davidson County EMS, appearing to be in good health.

As the investigation continued, at about 11:15 pm, a Randolph County sheriff’s deputy spotted the stolen vehicle in the area of ​​Highway 62 near Meadowbrook Drive in Trinity and arrested Raymond Henry Oneal, 49, who allegedly resisted arrest and assaulted the deputy.

He was taken to the Randolph County Detention Center and charged with a traffic infraction; assaulting a government official/employee; resisting a public officer; felony possession of stolen goods/property; possession of a stolen motor vehicle; and misdemeanor larceny.

His bond was set at $41,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Oneal also faces first-degree kidnapping and larceny of motor vehicle charges from the Winston-Salem Police Department.