A baby kidnapped Sunday night was found safe and sound by police, but authorities are still searching for the culprit.
Jennifer Hoard was at her home at Oak Grove Mobile Home Park with her nine-week-old daughter, Catalin, about 7:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the Conover police.
Saturnino Orgeta-Vidal, Hoard's boyfriend and the child's father, came to Hoard's home, where he hit Hoard and took Catalin, putting her in his car and driving off, said Capt. Steve Brewer with the Conover Police Department.
Hoard got a description of Orgeta-Vidal's pickup truck, as well as his license plate number, and gave it to police officers, who activated the Amber Alert system.
"Once we put out the Amber Alert, every officer was searching for the car," Brewer said.
About 1 a.m., Davie County deputies spotted Orgeta-Vidal's vehicle driving east on Interstate 40.
Deputies initially tried to pull over his blue Toyota pickup truck, but Orgeta-Vidal refused to pull over, Conover police said.
Although Davie County, Forsyth County and the N.C. Highway Patrol chased the pickup truck for a brief period, they stopped because Catalin was in the car without a proper child-safety seat, police said.
Authorities followed Orgeta-Vidal's car at a safe distance until Orgeta-Vidal pulled over to the side of the interstate and fled on foot.
"They used K9s to search, but because of the rain, they were unable to get a good scent," Brewer said.
Conover police think Orgeta-Vidal might have been heading to Greensboro.
Deputies found Catalin in the vehicle Orgeta-Vidal abandoned. EMS transported her to a nearby hospital.
Police are still searching for Orgeta-Vidal, who is 37. He is Hispanic, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
Warrants have been obtained for Orgeta-Vidal for first-degree kidnapping and assault on a female.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Conover Police Department at 464-4698.
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