A 4-month-old baby was found alone inside a car at the scene of an alleged copper cable theft in Pennsylvania, after three suspects reportedly fled as police arrived.
Authorities in Upper Chichester Township say the infant was discovered sleeping in the backseat of a maroon Chrysler 300 during an early-morning investigation on March 30. Officers had responded to reports of individuals tampering with cable wires near the 3100 block of Meetinghouse Road.
When police reached the scene around 2:15 a.m., they spotted the Chrysler with what they described as cable wire sticking out of its open trunk. Hand saws were also visible inside the vehicle. Investigators believe the group had been cutting inactive Verizon cable lines.
Lt. Christopher Jones explained the motive behind the alleged theft, stating, “The copper inside the cables is a hot item for the precious metals to be melted down and taken to wherever they can to get pawned.”
Officers secured the Chrysler and had it towed to headquarters while waiting for a search warrant. During a routine inspection, one officer noticed movement under a blanket covering a baby car seat in the back.
“Once it was back here, our officers were checking the exterior of the car, and one officer noticed that a blanket in the backseat moved slightly,” Jones said.
Inside, they found a baby boy, unharmed and asleep. He was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
Police say the suspects identified as 49-year-old Joseph Daniels, 32-year-old Angelina Williams, and 47-year-old Ray Gibase had fled the scene in a separate vehicle, a Jeep Liberty, as officers first arrived.
Later, officers from the Aston Police Department stopped the Jeep and found Williams and Gibase inside. A saw blade was reportedly recovered from beneath the passenger seat.
“Further investigation determined that the infant’s mother, Angelina Williams, was involved in the cable wire tampering incident,” police said. “She was subsequently taken into custody and admitted to her involvement.”
Gibase was initially released but later turned himself in. Daniels, believed to be the child’s father, was arrested separately after troopers pulled him over while he was driving a maroon Chrysler 300. Authorities confirmed he had an active warrant.
It remains unclear whether the vehicle Daniels was driving at the time of his arrest was the same one where the baby was found.
All three suspects now face multiple charges, including theft by unlawful taking, endangering the welfare of a child, theft of secondary metal, receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, conspiracy, and possession of an instrument of crime.
Court records show each suspect has already appeared for a preliminary arraignment. Williams is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday. Daniels, held on $45,000 bail, and Gibase, held on $50,000 bail, are both set to appear in court on April 16.
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