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Mother Grateful To Police After Kidnapping Scare

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A baby is safe in the care of his mother after what police are calling an attempted kidnapping.

"I thought this only happened on Lifetime movies, like people are really going around stealing people's babies," Jeannine Smith, the baby's mother, said.

Three-month-old Terrel is back with his mom after being kidnapped.

Smith was outside her Bentley Drive apartment in the Hill District when she was approached by a woman who said she was looking for newborns to be in a Huggies commercial.

"I told her my baby wasn't a newborn, but he was three months and he was cute, so you know can you do him?" Smith said.

The woman said okay and told Smith that a driver would pick her up Monday afternoon and take her to Uniontown.

That driver was 46-year-old Yvonne Bradley of Hazlewood.

"She says, 'We'll give you $500 in advance. We'll get you a motel room tonight and we'll give you $500 after the [shoot].'"

Bradley drove Smith and her son to the Heritage Inn in Uniontown where they shared a room.

Smith wasn't planning to spend the night so Tuesday morning, she walked to Walgreen's.
When she returned, little Terrel was gone and signed adoption papers were left on the bed.

"I just started having heart attack and calling the police," Smith said. "I just went crazy."

Police found Bradley and little Terrel less than 15 minutes later walking on Morgantown Street.

Bradley was taken into custody, telling police she recently had a miscarriage and wanted to give her love to another child.

Jeannine Smith wants to thank Uniontown police – especially Officer John Kauer – for helping her through her worst nightmare.

"He told me that he was gonna find my baby and he really did and I really want thank him for that."

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