Teens Dumped Girl, Baby On Freezing Highways: Police

ATLANTA, GA — Two Atlanta teenagers are behind bars after police say they stole an SUV, then dumped a baby and a 4-year-old girl out on busy roadways in freezing temperatures. Thankfully, the children were rescued — with the help of a local university police chief and a television news cameraman.

At 5:08 p.m. on Wednesday, Clayton County Police were called to the QuikTrip gas station at 5390 Riverdale Rd. in College Park. There, Precious Wilmer told officers she had left her SUV running near the gas pumps when someone stole it.

Her two children, 1-month-old Ava Wilmer and 4-year-old Arya Davenport, were inside the SUV.

As police began their search, Joseph Spillane, chief of police at Georgia State University, happened to be driving and saw Arya walking down the shoulder of I-285 and Riverdale Road. He called Clayton County Police and the child was rescued.

Then, at 7:10 p.m., after an Amber Alert had been issued for the 2009 Chevy Equinox, a cameraman for WSB-TV approached officers and told them he'd seen something alongside South Fulton Parkway while he was on his way to the gas station to cover the story.

He joined a police officer and went back to the area, where they found Ava still strapped into her car seat, which had been left in the right-hand lane of the road.

Both children appeared unharmed, but were taken to a local hospital to be checked out. Snow and ice had blanketed much of metro Atlanta on Wednesday, when the low temperature dropped to 16 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The SUV was later found on Metropolitan Parkway. Later, two Atlanta teens were arrested in the case. Khyree Swift, 17, and a 16 year old whose name was not released because of his age, were arrested at separate Atlanta addresses, police said Friday morning.

They are not believed to have been the only people involved and police say other arrests may be forthcoming. The two are charged with kidnapping, cruelty to children, theft by taking a motor vehicle and theft by receiving stolen property.

Photo courtesy Clayton County Police Department