OAKDALE, Calif. — A Modesto man was charged with carjacking and kidnapping in connection with a 2018 incident in Oakdale, authorities said.
Tyler Newman, 25, stole a Toyota 4Runner from a driveway in the 1300 block of Cindy Drive in the Burchell Hill neighborhood on Oct. 30, 2018, Oakdale police said in a press release. A 6-year-old child was strapped into a car seat in the backseat at the time of the theft. The child's mother briefly stepped outside of the vehicle to clean up after the sick child when the suspect jumped in the vehicle and drove away.
Police said Newman dropped the child off at an intersection in the Burchell Hill neighborhood about a half-mile from the child’s house. He then left the area in the stolen car. Neighbors returned the child to its mother. The car was later recovered in the 4100 block of Dale Road in northwest Modesto.
The Oakdale Police Department continued investigating the case and partnered with the Serological Research Institute (SERI) Forensic Lab to help sift through evidence.
Police discovered Newman was serving time in prison on unrelated charges from an arrest for grand theft and felony evasion in a vehicle related to an incident from Sonoma County. Newman was subsequently transported to the Stanislaus County Jail where he is currently facing new charges from the Oakdale incident.
“We are... very thankful for the tenacious efforts of our investigators and the key assistance received from the Serological Research Institute Forensic Lab and for their scientific advancements in the processing of touch DNA that helped solve this crime,” said Police Chief Scott Heller
Newman's charges include kidnapping during the commission of carjacking, kidnapping, child endangerment and auto theft.