DOTHAN, Ala. — Police in southeastern Alabama went high-tech to track down a Florida woman suspected of abducting a minor, using drones and license plate readers to locate her and the girl.
According to a news release from the Dothan Police Department, Jenay Dominique Burns, 38 -- whose last address, according to Orange County court records, was Kissimmee, Florida -- was arrested on Wednesday. Dothan Police said that Burns was wanted on charges that included kidnapping of a minor and probation revocation charges from Orlando.
Authorities have not revealed the relationship, if any, between Burns and the child, according to AL.com.
Police in Orlando notified Dothan authorities that Burns was believed to be in the area and was traveling with an endangered child under the age of 10, WTVY reported.
Police identified the vehicle Burns was driving as a red Nissan Rogue with a Florida license tag, the news release stated. Using the description and photographs from the license plate readers, police employed drones to locate the vehicle on West Main Street in Dothan.
Based on that information, investigators were able to locate and stop the vehicle just south of Dothan.
Burns was taken into custody and taken to the Houston County Jail to await extradition to Florida, Dothan police said.
The child was found in the vehicle and is now in the custody of the Department of Human Resources, police said. The agency will work on reuniting the girl with family members in Florida.
“The Dothan Police Department would like to thank the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal Service for their assistance in getting Burns into custody and starting a path to reuniting this child with her family in Florida,” Dothan police Chief William Benny said in a statement. “This case was a great example of how layers of technology, good police work, and interagency cooperation can help lead to successful resolutions of potentially dangerous situations.”
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