PHOENIX — A woman attempted to abduct a baby in the parking lot of a Phoenix Target store.
Phoenix police report that on November 4, a woman, later identified as 38-year-old Nicole Danielle Nutting, approached a car in the parking lot of the Target store near 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road.
Nutting allegedly yelled out, "Travis, Travis, the baby's right here; that's my baby!"
Police say Nutting pulled the hair of the 7-month-old child's mother, Laura Valdez, in an attempt to take the baby.
She grabbed the car seat the child was in, when another passenger in the car pulled the car seat away from her.
Police say Valdez "used bodily force...to get Nutting away from the baby."
Nutting was located by police about a mile away and was arrested.
Valdez told ABC15 the suspect started making comments about her daughter as she made her way to her vehicle. "She obviously thought my child was hers and she was trying to take her," said Valdez.
Valdez says she realized she was in trouble when the woman grabbed ahold of her hair.
"She grabbed the car seat when I was trying to put my daughter in the car," Valdez said. "When she pulled my hair she kind of , like, pulled on the car seat. I'm like 'Okay this is getting serious."
Valdez says she started hitting the woman and was able to get away. "I kind of started crying after I realized this actually happened," Valdez said. "Somebody actually tried to kidnap my kid from me."
She offered a message to other parents. "Don't ever take your eyes off your children at all," she said. "In one second it could happen."
No one answered when ABC15 went to Nutting's listed address seeking comment.
Court records show that Nutting has an extensive criminal history, including assault, criminal damage, and drug convictions.
She has been charged with assault and attempted custodial interference.
