An 18-year-old man from Hyattsville, Maryland, has been arrested and charged with kidnapping a child, prompting an Amber Alert in Prince George’s County on Thursday evening. Ariel Florentino-Galeas was taken into custody by the Prince George’s County Police Department at approximately 8:35 pm on February 23, 2023.
The incident began at around 6:20 pm on Thursday when the suspect allegedly jumped into a running SUV at a gas station located in the 5300 block of Ritchie Marlboro Road in the unincorporated section of Upper Marlboro. The SUV belonged to the victim’s grandfather, who had left his three-year-old grandson inside the vehicle. The grandfather immediately called 911 to report the abduction.
After the initial report, the Prince George’s County Police Department searched extensively for the child and the stolen SUV. Approximately two hours later, a driver called 911 to report a hit-and-run in the area of 56th Avenue and Hamilton Street in Riverdale.
The driver described the striking SUV, which matched the one stolen in Upper Marlboro. Responding officers, with the assistance of the department’s Aviation Unit, located the SUV abandoned in the 5300 block of Farragut Street in the Riverdale area. The child was found alone in the vehicle, unharmed, and quickly reunited with his family.
Officers continued their search for the suspect, and Florentino-Galeas was later located and arrested. He is now facing charges of kidnapping, reckless endangerment, theft, unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle, and additional charges. He is currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
The Prince George’s County Police Department urges anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 301-390-2160.