Couple attempted another abduction minutes prior to abducting 1-year-old in Chamblee
At a press conference Aug. 31, Chamblee police officials said a Brookhaven couple attempted to abduct another baby prior to abducting one-year-old Mateo Alejandro Montufar-Barrera in Chamblee on the afternoon of Aug. 29.
Montufar-Barrera’s mother was walking back to her apartment on Clairview Drive with him in the stroller as the two suspects, later identified as Maynor Dario Valera-Zuniga and Kristin Nicole Valera-Zuniga, approached her with a gun and took Mateo as she attempted to fight them away.
“We have discovered that in the same area where this happened, perhaps 10-15 minutes prior, they tried to grab another baby,” said Chamblee Assistant Chief Mike Beller, implying that the suspects revealed the information during a post-arrest interview. “[Maynor Dario Valera-Zuniga] jumped out with a gun and [the woman] ran so fast into an apartment that he wasn’t able to see which one.”
“That woman never called 911,” continued Beller. “We don’t know who she is. She represents an additional kidnapping charge that we need to make. We need a push for that woman to come forward. We’re asking people that may have heard a story of a woman carrying a baby on their back being chased to call the Chamblee police department.”
Mateo was abducted from his mother at approximately 12:30 p.m. Aug. 29. Law enforcement representatives from agencies including FBI, GBI and Georgia State Patrol discussed the role and importance of cross-agency collaboration, which resulted in Mateo being found in Carroll County and returned to his mother unharmed within five hours.
An investigation among the agencies led law enforcement to believe that the suspects were at a home in Carrollton. Georgia State Trooper Johnathan Nelms and Beller were the first to set up a block nearby and corner the two suspects as they were leaving the residence.
“All I will say is they intended to raise this baby,” said Beller, explaining a potential motive for the abduction. “We believe they’ve been married about a year and they do not have any children together.”
An FBI spokesman said a child abduction committed by stranger is very rare, only accounting for about 5 percent of child abduction cases.
“The first thing I said was, ‘Thank God’ because results like this don’t usually happen and the percentage is very low, so we thank God for that,” said Thomas.
“Saturday was a day I will never forget,” said Beller. “My favorite part was driving this precious baby boy back to Chamblee and returning him to his parents. He slept the whole way…It was rewarding to be a part of that takedown.”
Thomas encouraged everyone to be aware of their surroundings and potential threats and try not to isolate at outdoor places. He also encouraged residents with RING doorbells and other surveillance systems to partner with the police department to assist in solving crimes.
“What helped solve this [case] as well is cameras. The public willing to allow access to camera surveillance is paramount,” said Thomas.
