CBS46 reported that 1-year old Royalty Grisby was found safe in an Atlanta suburb after her mother’s car was stolen while on a Doordash delivery. The suspect, a 14-year old, has been arrested.
Police said the incident occurred at 2 a.m. Thursday morning as Grisby’s, Elizabeth Grisby, was delivering food to a customer at an address in Stone Mountain. As she approached the door, the suspect jumped into the vehicle and sped off with the child in the backseat. Police now believe this may have been set up and that the food order was a misdirect and the real intention was to steal the car.
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Grisby was found later that morning at 9:30 a.m., on the porch of a home in Stone Mountain by two neighbors. They responded to an Amber Alert sent out via social media. Details of how she arrived safely at the location were not disclosed.
?AMBER ALERT: On Thurs., March 18, two suspects stole a vehicle with 1-year-old Royalty inside! It happened at approx. 2 a.m. as the driver attempted to make a food delivery on Harvest Dale Court in Stone Mountain. (1/2)
— DeKalb County Police Department (@DeKalbCountyPD) March 18, 2021
If you see Royalty or the vehicle, a maroon 2010 Nissan Armada with tag #RWW4748,⚠️PLEASE CALL 911!⚠️#WeAreDKPD #AmberAlert #Share (2/2) pic.twitter.com/CqZtRigV8v
— DeKalb County Police Department (@DeKalbCountyPD) March 18, 2021
At an afternoon press conference, police identified the suspect as Malachi Richardson, who was arrested later that afternoon. They have been in contact with Richardson’s mother, but believe no others were involved.
Elizabeth Grisby told CBS46 the only reason she didn’t lock her doors is because she “didn’t think anything like that would happen” in the neighborhood where she was delivering. She says she is just happy to have her child back home.
Police have not said what Richardson will be charged with at this time. They have only said that they are looking to interview him about the incident and his involvement. However, Connor Osborn, a neighbor who knows him from around the neighborhood said he was surprised to hear of his involvement in such a crime.
“He’s always seemed like a good kid… he’s always talked to me, like ‘hey how’s it going?’ Never seemed like he’d do anything like that.”
