Moses Virgil Campbell, 38, in custody in Washington, D.C., is being held on a detainer from Alexandria police, charged with grand theft auto and child endangerment.
The case began at around 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 15. An Alexandria woman drove to an office in the 3100 block of Colvin Street. Her three-year-old niece was asleep in the back seat of her car so she left the child sleeping and the car running while she went into the business to speak with her husband. The woman’s husband was looking out a window of the business and saw the car being driven away by a stranger. He chased the car to no avail.
About an hour later, Alexandria police received a call saying that the child they were looking for was at the Rosslyn Metro station. Arlington County police responded and Alexandria officers met them at the station and reunited the child with her family. She was unharmed.
D.C. police located the stolen 1996 gold Nissan Maxima on Saturday, Dec. 18 and took Campbell into custody. He will be brought to Alexandria to stand trial on the charges.
“Never leave an unattended car running, especially with a child inside,” said Amy Bertsch, a spokesperson for the Alexandria Police Department.