The incident took place on June 17 at around 8 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale.
A man accused of stealing a vehicle and kidnapping a 3-year-old boy outside an IHOP in Florida has been arrested following a dayslong search, authorities reported
According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the mother had left the restaurant and was alarmed to discover that her car and son were missing. She had parked her vehicle with her child inside while she quickly entered the restaurant to pick up food.
Surveillance footage captured the man accused, identified as 33-year-old Phillip Pepe Jr., swiftly entering the car and driving away. Law enforcement promptly arrived at the scene and located the abandoned vehicle at a nearby gas station. Thankfully, the child was found unharmed inside the car.
Despite the man accused’s escape, the authorities rapidly identified the man accused, Pepe, as the primary suspect
They established a perimeter in the area and deployed aviation and K-9 units, but the man accused, Pepe, managed to evade capture. However, an anonymous tip led the deputies to a hotel in Lantana, where they hoped to apprehend the man accused. Regrettably, the man accused, Pepe was not present at the hotel. Nevertheless, detectives utilized his hotel reservation to trace him to Lake Worth.
On June 22, officials successfully arrested Pepe, who was subsequently booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. The man accused now faces several charges, including grand theft auto, kidnapping, and false imprisonment of a child.
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