On July 3, 2025, a 36-year-old woman’s vehicle was stolen from a gas station with her baby inside on Chicago’s West Side.
Chicago police reported that the incident occurred around 10:40 a.m. when 38-year-old Jeremy Ochoa allegedly stole a family vehicle from a gas station in Lawndale, leaving a 7-month-old baby inside. The suspect later dropped off the baby at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
Earl Abernathy, a 33-year-old counselor and assistant basketball coach, heard a baby crying near St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. He discovered an infant left in a car seat on the church steps, and the temperature was 90 degrees. He quickly called 911 and posted on social media, asking if anyone recognized the child.
Authorities successfully reunited the unharmed 7-month-old baby with her family. The police identified and arrested Jeremy Ochoa, charging him with multiple felonies, including theft and child endangerment.
Abernathy was quoted as saying he would do it all over again: “It just feels good to be praised, but it’s just something that I would do any day, but it feels good.”
