A woman is facing kidnapping and auto theft charges after she stole a car with two children inside and drove over state lines Wednesday evening.
The ordeal started at approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday when Melanie Moore allegedly stole a vehicle from Karen Drive in Catoosa County, Ga., with a two children – 7- and 5-years old – inside the vehicle, said Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk.
Moore then drove across the state line into Tennessee where she ended up at Camp Jordan in East Ridge. She drove through a playground, a field and then got stuck in a fence at an amphitheater, a release from East Ridge police said, and let the two children out of the car.
Her erratic driving got the attention of some workers at Camp Jordan who started following her. She fled on foot and stole another vehicle, this time a Volkswagon Jetta, and drove off.
The owner of the Volkswagen Jetta saw the theft happen, and jumped in the car with her friend, who followed Moore and called 911. For an unknown reason, Moore stopped on Scruggs Road, where East Ridge Police took her into custody.
The two kids were not hurt, Sisk said, and they are reunited with their family in Georgia. Sisk didn’t know why Moore took the car with the kids still inside.
“I don’t know what her motive was,” he said.
Sisk said the coordination between Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office and East Ridge Police Department went well. The sheriff’s office was on the phone with East Ridge giving them information, and vice versa. She’ll face charges of auto theft and kidnapping in Catoosa County, Sisk said, and likely face another auto theft charge in Hamilton County.
Sisk said Moore will be booked into the Hamilton County Jail. The jail has not booked Moore into its systems as of now.
Contact staff writer Evan Hoopfer at ehoopfer@timesfreepress.com or @EvanHoopfer on Twitter or 423-757-6731.