A three-month-old boy has been reunited with his family after a frantic search by law enforcement and surveillance video showing his abduction in a carseat on Monday.
The kidnapping on Monday set off an intense manhunt in San Jose and national headlines, after three-month-old Brandon Cuellar was taken out of his grandmother's apartment while she was unloading groceries around 1 p.m.
Police quickly released surveillance video of a suspect, wearing a bandana over his face, walking away from the building with Brandon in a carseat draped with a blanket.
The CHP issued an Endangered Missing Advisory, but an Amber Alert was never issued, as CNN notes, because police did not have any vehicle or drivers' license information for the suspect.
As KTVU reports, three suspects were in custody as of Tuesday morning, and the boy was found safe around 9:30 a.m. Police had said they had a female person of interest on Monday who gave inconsistent statements when questioned about the crime, and it is not clear if she, or the many seen in the surveillance video, were among the three suspects.
There was confusion late Monday after authorities released a photo of a silver 2011 Nissan Quest, saying it was a possible getaway vehicle for the kidnappers, and then deleted the photo and said it was not for public consumption.
A witness, Chris Martinez, who says he saw the van with a child's carseat inside and whose coworker called 911 to report it, believes that this vehicle was linked to the crime.
San Jose police have not yet explained how or where they found Brandon, or the suspects.
The department said in a tweet, "Baby Brandon will be taken to a local hospital as a precaution but he has been located alive. A million thank you's to all who assisted."
In the Twitter thread, the department also said, "We think all who helped by sharing the tweets," following that with, "*Thank not think. I need an edit button Elon."
The department also thanked the FBI for their assistance, and said that more information on the case would be forthcoming.
Baby Brandon has been located. He will be taken to a local hospital for an evaluation.
— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) April 26, 2022
Three suspects in custody, charges and additional information forthcoming.
We think all who helped by sharing the tweets. pic.twitter.com/l7arQ804kv
Photo via San Jose Police