After friend rejects romantic relationship, woman steals car with baby inside

St. Louis police say the woman dropped the baby off in an alley, then wrecked the car at a police stop

ST. LOUIS — Kenyetta McKinney was incensed when her friend rejected her romantic advances, so on Friday she stole her friend's car — with her friend's 9-month-old baby inside, St. Louis police say.

She later dropped the baby off in an alley before crashing the car head-on into a police car. The boy spent about an hour in the alley before he was found, unharmed.

McKinney, 22, was charged with child kidnapping, assault, stealing, armed criminal action, resisting arrest and endangering the welfare of a child. Judge Michael Mullen set her bail at $50,000.

Police say McKinney was a passenger in her friend's 2010 Dodge Avenger when her friend stopped at a gas station about 7:20 p.m. Friday to get cold drinks for them.

While her friend was inside the gas station, police say McKinney took off with her friend's baby inside the car. McKinney sent a message telling her friend that she was taking her car and son because she would not have a relationship with her, according to court documents.

A police lieutenant spotted the car and tried to pull it over, but McKinney refused to stop, police say. Officers, including in a helicopter, tracked the car. At some points during the pursuit, she was driving in the wrong lane of traffic, police say.

Eventually she intentionally rammed into a police car head-on. After the collision, McKinney ran, but the sergeant whose car she crashed into was able to chase her down and arrest her.

The baby was not in the car at the time of the crash. Initially, McKinney denied knowing anything about the child, police said. Eventually she admitted that she had taken the child and abandoned him in his car seat somewhere.

Police ultimately found the baby in an alley and were able to reunite the child with his mother.