Woman Arrested After Allegedly Trying to Kidnap Toddler from Shopping Cart in Santee

San Diego Sheriff's Department.
A San Diego Sheriff’s cruiser. Photo by Chris Stone

A 31-year-old woman suspected of attempting to kidnap a 1-year-old girl at the Santee Town Center was in custody Tuesday evening.

A woman tried to take the child from a shopping cart in the 100 block of Town Center Parkway at 6 p.m. Monday, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Chris Galve said.

The child was secured to the cart with a lap belt and the woman was unable to take her out of the cart.

The woman then ran away, heading south toward Mission Gorge Road, Galve said.

Detectives from the Santee sheriff’s station investigated the attempted kidnapping and identified Isela Ortega as a suspect. She was arrested at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 400 block of Orsett Street in Chula Vista, Galve said.

Ortgea is facing a charge of attempted kidnapping and will be booked into the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility.

City News Service contributed to this article.

Originally posted 2023-11-22 16:15:00.