Sharp-Eyed News Photographer Helps Save Infant Who Was Victim of Carjacking

Police in Atlanta are crediting a news photographer with saving a baby's life after he spotted the child and led them to where she was left in freezing temperatures on the side of a road by a carjacker. 

At around 5 p.m. on January 17, Precious Wilmer's SUV was carjacked from outside a convenience store in Atlanta. Wilmer had left her two children, a four-year-old and a one-month-old, in the car with the engine running while she went inside the store. The four-year-old, Arya, was left on the side of the road nearby, where Georgia State University Police Chief Joseph Spillane saw her and she informed him that her sister, Ava, was still in the car, triggering a huge search operation. While on their way to cover the story, Reporter Nefertiti Jáquez and Photographer Brian Ferguson saw an object in the road. Once arriving and interviewing the mother, the crew realized that they had actually seen Ava in her car seat on the side of the road in freezing conditions. Ferguson immediately left with police and helped them find Ava, where she was safely rescued and taken to the hospital. Ferguson got to meet her a day later.

The carjacker eventually dumped the car and has yet to be found, while the children's mother has expressed regret for leaving them in the vehicle, saying she did it because of the cold. 

[via WSB-TV]

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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4 Comments

What was an infant doing driving a car? 😜

Good story, with a happy ending. Bravo.

Wow what a heartwarming story, that's amazing they were able to locate the baby. Don't leave your car running anywhere in ATL

"Wilmer had left her two children, a four-year-old and a one-month-old, in the car with the engine running while she went inside the store."

How is this not being underlined somehow? Regrets or not that has to be borderline criminal no?