A Fort Smith kidnapping suspect, who stole a car with a six month-old in a car seat on Tuesday, has been taken in to custody according to information from the Sebastian County- Detention Center.
Rex Cole Steward Jr. was arrested by the Forts Smith Police Deprtment and booked on three felony and one misdemeanor count when he was processed into the Sebastian County Detention Center at just after 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Steward was charged with Kidnapping-Threat and Theft of Property >$1000 as well as felony and misdemeanor Failure to Appear charges we first told you about on Tuesday.
Steward remains jailed in lieu of a combined total of $58,000 in bonds of which $50,000 will require cash.
On Tuesday, Fort Smith police officers were dispatched to a home in the 3700 block of Park Avenue in reference to a kidnapping in progress.
Upon arrival, Officers made contact with the victim, who had traveled to the address to pick up a friend. The victim stepped away from her vehicle for a few seconds to knock on the door and let her friend know she had arrived.
Her 6-month-old child was in the back seat when Steward walked by and observed the vehicle running. He jumped inside and drove off, later leaving the child at the Food Mart on Grand Avenue and driving away.
He abandoned the vehicle at the 1500 block of North 37th and fled on foot.
Since 2016, Steward has had several arrests including for Breaking and Entering, Theft of Property, Fleeing, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Delivery of Meth or Cocaine, and both felony and misdemeanor charges for failure to appear.
For the most part, he has drawn a suspended imposition of sentence, especially for crimes committed in Crawford County.
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