Authorities say Christiana Fitzpatrick allegedly kidnapped her friend's baby from his East Orange home early Wednesday morning.
Christiana Fitzpatrick (Provided by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office)EAST ORANGE -- An 11-month-old boy was reunited with his mother Wednesday following the arrest of the family friend who allegedly kidnapped him, officials say.
The alleged kidnapper, Christiana Fitzpatrick, 20, of Chicago, Illinois, was arrested Wednesday afternoon after authorities apprehended her with the child in West Hempstead, New York, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.
The names of the mother and victim were not immediately released. The child was found unharmed, but transported to a local hospital for evaluation, Carter said.
A police investigation into the incident began early Wednesday morning, when the boy's mother contacted city police to report the kidnapping, Carter said.
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The child's mother later told investigators that her son was left overnight in the care of Fitzpatrick, Carter said. When the victim's mother returned home at approximately 2:30 a.m., both Fitzpatrick and the child were missing, Carter said.
Asked to describe Fitzpatrick's relationship to the child's mother, Carter said the two were friends.
Authorities say the child's mother made repeated attempts to get in touch with Fitzpatrick and have her return with the baby, Carter said. When Fitzpatrick allegedly refused, the mother contacted authorities at about 5:45 a.m., Carter said.
Fitzpatrick was later located and apprehended with aid from the US Marshals Service and New Jersey State Police, Carter said.
Details of the search, including how Fitzpatrick was apprehended, remain unclear. Also unclear is the motive in the alleged kidnapping.
Fitzpatrick now faces charges of kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and interfering with custody.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.