Raleigh man held on $510K bond, charged with kidnapping 5-year-old as she slept in car

Dustin Taylor Oakley, 28, of Raleigh, was charged with first-degree kidnapping, felony larceny, misdemeanor larceny, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and felony possession of stolen goods.

The incident occurred Monday night around 8:30 p.m. when police say Oakley stole a dark blue 2003 Dodge Durango with 5-year-old Arielle Williams inside.

“This lady’s car’s been stolen with her daughter inside over at the Jersey Mikes over at Eastgate Crossing,” said the caller on the recording.

She told the operator the incident address was at 1800 East Franklin Street.

“You said her daughter was in the car, and her car was taken?” said the 911 operator.

The caller then responded by saying yes.

During the call, a crying and sobbing mother can be heard saying, “My daughter and my baby’s in that car. My baby’s in that car!

In a court hearing on Tuesday afternoon, prosecutors said the car was parked at Eastgate Shopping Center in the 1800 block of East Franklin Street outside Jersey Mike's. Arielle's mother and two other children went inside to pick up food, leaving the 5-year-old sleeping inside the vehicle.

Oakley could be seen on a surveillance video pacing in front of Jersey Mike's moments before the incident.

The mother ran out to discover her car was missing. Police were able to track the mother's cell phone, which was still in the car.

Two hours after the car was stolen, Lillington police received a 911 call from a person who said Oakley tried to sell him a Dodge Durango.

Police officers found Arielle in the car at a Sheetz gas station in Lillington, and found Oakley hiding behind a dumpster at a nearby McDonald's.

Prosecutors said Oakley had gotten out of the car, ensured the doors were locked and enacted the child locks.

Lillington police said the gas station where the stolen car was found was located nearly 40 miles from where the girl was taken, and the mother's cell phone was found in the trash on N.C. Highway 51.

WRAL News on Tuesday spoke to employees of several Eastgate Shopping Center businesses who reported seeing both Oakley and the driver of the car.

At Twisted Noodle, worker Miley Podech said that Oakley came in claiming to have a stomach injury and asked for money immediately before the car was stolen.

He describes the scene of a woman outside screaming, saying, "My baby, my baby."

"I saw in the news the picture of the guy; he seemed similar," said Podech. "He came in around 8 pm asking if I can donate him money."

Sydney Cardona, a clean juice employee, witnessed the incident's aftermath.

"I was doing my normal closing duties taking out the trash, and I came back inside from taking out the trash," said Cardona. "We saw what was going on outside, sorta the aftermath when we went to our cars."

Cardona states that she knew it was serious when police approached them asking if they had seen anything because a car was taken with a child inside.

"It's pretty scary ... I always think about stuff like that happening, but it doesn't usually happen right where I am or in the same area My heart was breaking for the girl," she said.

The state says Oakley has prior convictions, including hit and run, eluding arrest, and reckless driving.

He is being held at the Orange County Detention Center under a $510,000 bond. His next court date will be May 15 for a probable cause hearing.