Car theft with child inside sparks fear in Hampton Cove area

OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. – Police arrested Matthew Wade Garner, 27, on Dec. 3 after a frantic search for a stolen car with a small child in the back seat.

It all started at the Circle K gas station on US 431 in Hampton Cove. Officers responded to a call about the theft around 9:45 p.m. A woman told responding officers that her car had been stolen while her child was still inside. The child and car were recovered unharmed just a few miles away in Gurley.

According to Huntsville police, the woman had locked her car, but the driver’s side window was rolled down while the vehicle was running to keep it warm. Your child was secured in a car seat.

Fidel Ferrell lives nearby with three children of his own and said he had never heard of anything like it.

“I’ve been here for about 15 years, raising my family,” he said. “And that’s what any of us would do. I mean, it’s pretty safe, especially in the Owens Cross Roads area.”

He added: “It’s completely unexpected. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such a crime.”

But Ashley Smothers said it’s all too easy to run into the house and think you’re safe from danger.

“You think, ‘Hey, what’s the harm if I step back for two seconds? Two minutes?’” she said.

But during this time, someone can take off with whatever you care about.

Smothers said, “It makes you realize that you have to watch your child 24/7, no matter what.”

The stolen vehicle was found on Cherry Tree Road. near Gurley. Huntsville police said Garner ran into a wooded area and officers caught up with him shortly after. Drone and K-9 teams helped find him.

Multiple local police departments are collaborating on the investigation and determining what charges will be filed. Huntsville police have not yet released a motive for the theft.

Currently, Matthew Garner is being charged by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office with possession of drug paraphernalia, but the Gurley and Huntsville police departments anticipate additional theft charges will be filed.