A 1-year-old Georgia girl was kidnapped in a carjacking when her mom got out of the vehicle to deliver a DoorDash order — in what authorities now believe was a setup to take off with the vehicle.
Royalty Grisby was in the backseat about 2 a.m. Thursday as her mother, who was working as a DoorDash driver, dropped off the food at a home in Stone Mountain and left the vehicle running, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Police say they believe the two men who took the car didn’t know Royalty Grisby was inside. DeKalb County Police DepartmentHer mother, Elizabeth Grisby, then heard a door slam and turned around to see the maroon Nissan Armada taking off with her daughter still inside, authorities said.
“I had my keys in my pocket, and the only reason I didn’t lock the door was because I was in a residential, a nice neighborhood,” her mom said of the car, which has a keyless ignition system. “I didn’t think anything like that would happen.”
Police say they found Elizabeth Grisby’s vehicle, but Royalty Grisby remains missing. DeKalb County Police DepartmentBut in a bizarre twist, Dekalb County police said the DoorDash order actually “appears to be fake” and was likely a setup in order to steal the car, Fox5 Atlanta reported.
The story ultimately had a happy ending when the toddler was found safe and sound hours later — and a suspect was arrested.
“Thank you to all who shared, one-year-old Royalty Grisby has been located safe and returned to her mother,” DeKalb County police said on Twitter shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday.
Malachi Richardson, 14, of Stone Mountain, was arrested Thursday afternoon in connection to the abduction, police said.
No further details were provided about his arrest — and it’s unclear whether he knew the girl was in the car.
Officers located the vehicle around 9 a.m. in a nearby neighborhood.
A Levi’s Call — Georgia’s version of an Amber Alert — was issued to track down Royalty.
Police had originally said they believed two thieves were involved in the car theft, but no details were provided about a second suspect.
DoorDash said in a statement Thursday that they are working with authorities to help track down Royalty.
“We are devastated by this absolutely heinous act and are actively working with the FBI and local law enforcement to help bring this child home safely and the perpetrator to justice,” the company said earlier in the day.
“We are in contact with Ms. Grisby to offer our support and know that this is terrifying for her and her family. We urge anyone with information about this horrific incident to contact 911 immediately.”
