A 2-year-old girl allegedly abducted by her father in Sandy Springs was found in Arkansas on Friday, police said.
According to police, Sorelle Torrez was taken from her mother at the Chastain Apartments on Roswell Road just after 8 a.m. Friday.
Sandy Springs police say the girl’s father, 30-year-old Zeb Lockett, approached her mother, Natalie Torrez, while she was dropping her child off at her babysitter’s apartment complex. They say he pushed the mother from her vehicle and fled with the little girl inside.
“He ran behind me, pushed me in the car, pushed me on the floor of the car and held me in the car with his knee so that I couldn’t get out and was attempting to close the door,” Torrez said.
Authorities issued a Levi’s Call and a massive search began.
An Arkansas State Trooper located the child and the father around 4:25 p.m. in West Memphis, Ark. Police there had stationed two officers along the interstate as lookouts after Sandy Springs authorities told them Lockett had family in the state.
Lockett was taken into custody without incident.
The child was checked out at a local hospital and was found to be OK. Her mother drove to West Memphis to be reunited with her on Friday night.
“She was extremely relieved. She was very emotional, but very happy just to know that her daughter was OK,” said Capt. John Mullin of the Sandy Springs Police Department.
Authorities say Lockett has been arrested previously for domestic violence. Natalie Torrez had taken a protective order out against him on Monday.
Lockett faces several charges, including kidnapping, aggravated stalking and theft of a motor vehicle. It is not yet clear when he will be extradited back to Georgia.
