The teenager charged with kidnapping after a car theft sparked an Amber Alert on Thursday was arrested just hours before the incident occurred, according to Prince George’s County District Court documents.
Ariel Florentino-Galeas, 18, was arrested and called to court on Feb. 23 for his involvement in a separate Riverdale Park, Maryland, theft 10 days prior.
he was charged with breaking into a work van on Hamilton Street on Feb. 13. There, he allegedly stole a generator, drills and several nail guns before his arrest.
Court documents show that, after his remote appearance from the county jail, Florentino-Galeas was released on his own recognizance, with a trial date set for April 3.
By 6:20 p.m. that same day, police said, the teen jumped into a running SUV at a gas station in the 5300 block of Ritchie Marlboro Road, half a mile from where he was being held.
Around 8:20 p.m., another driver called in a hit-and-run involving the stolen car in the area of 56th Avenue and Hamilton Street in Riverdale. Police later found the SUV abandoned in the 5300 block of Farragut Street, with the 3-year-old alone inside.
Florentino-Galeas is currently in custody and charged with kidnapping, reckless endangerment, theft, unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle and additional charges, according to the department.
