Man caught in Mississippi with baby believed kidnapped from metro Atlanta

Michael Christopher Diaz

Credit: WAPT-TV

Credit: WAPT-TV

Michael Christopher Diaz

A baby believed kidnapped from Paulding County was found in Mississippi when a hotel clerk noticed something seemed off about the man caring for her, authorities said.

A clerk at a Ramada Inn in Pearl, Miss., called police Monday night to report a guest who had just checked in with a baby, Jackson ABC affiliate WAPT-TV reported. The clerk believed the man, later identified as Michael Christopher Diaz, was under the influence of marijuana, Pearl police told the news station.

The clerk, who Channel 2 Action News did not name, called police after she spotted a man who allegedly kidnapped an infant. (Photo: Channel 2 Action News)

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The clerk told Channel 2 Action News the milk he gave the infant was also a red flag.

“He was giving the baby the wrong milk, and with it being an infant, any dad knows you’re not supposed to give an infant regular milk,” she said.

When officers arrived, they discovered that the car the man was driving was stolen, and the baby was believed to be abducted from Georgia. Authorities said Diaz may have been in a relationship with the child’s mother, The Associated Press reported.

Pearl police Chief Dean Scott told the news station the hotel clerk helped to negotiate Diaz’s surrender. Officers used a stun gun on Diaz before he was arrested, he said.

The baby was in the custody of Mississippi authorities until she could be reunited with her family, according to the news station.

Read more of the story here.

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