The mother of a four-month-old baby who was the accidental victim of a kidnapping has spoken out, revealing her own devastating childhood and her “wrong” split decision.
Young mum Erika Carter had the fright of her life earlier this week when her car was stolen from the north Adelaide suburb of Klemzig, with her son Jordan in the backseat.
After a desperate two hour search from local police, Jordan was found safe in the car, which had since been abandoned, and was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Speaking for the first time since the incident to 7News, Erika said she made the “wrong decision” by leaving her baby in the car alone while she went to pick up some essentials at the shops.
“I went for a quick trip to get a loaf of bed and made the wrong decision to leave bubs for that split second,” she said.
“And as I was paying for my bread, I heard my car rev and my heart just sunk.”
“I sprinted out after my baby boy and tried my best to get in front, but I couldn’t get to him, I was just yelling, ‘my baby, my baby Jordan’ and I thought the worst.”
Carter said it was “the longest few hours of her life” as the police searched for Jordan.
In a shocking coincidence, Erika revealed that she was also abducted when she was just 11 years old.
“I got followed as I was walking my mum’s dog, and I was grabbed and put into a car,” she said.
“But I wasn’t taken like Jordan was,” she explained.
“My dog bit the abductor, and I managed to unlock the passenger’s door and get out.”
“But that took me years to get over.”
Erika said her abductor was never caught.
The 37-year-old man who stole Erika’s car and son was arrested and charged with the abduction of a child, before he was refused bail.
Image credits: 7News
This article first appeared on OverSixty.