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BATON ROUGE — James Merritt was arrested by Baton Rouge police after allegedly stealing a car with the victim’s children inside on October 31, 2024.
According to police, the victim had briefly entered a store when Merritt got into her vehicle and drove away with her children still inside. Shortly after, two other individuals entered the vehicle, but the group eventually abandoned the car. A good Samaritan stopped and helped the victims.
Authorities identified Merritt as the suspect through DNA evidence found on a partially smoked cigarette, photo lineups, and cell phone records. Merritt was booked on charges of simple kidnapping and theft of a motor vehicle. His criminal history includes armed robbery.
