Karla Hernandez, 30, was arrested in San Jose in connection with the March 25th incident on suspicion of kidnapping, child endangerment, vehicle theft, possession of drugs and being under the influence of drugs, according to police spokesman Officer Albert Morales.
Hernandez was identified as a suspect after police released a sketch the day after the alleged kidnapping, but Morales said witnesses and physical evidence also tied her to the crime.
The child, Gabriella Quintero, was taken at about 6:30 a.m. after her mother briefly left her unattended in a 2006 Jeep Liberty outside their home in the 2300 block of Amador Court in East San Jose, police said.
The mother, Graciella Quintero, had been warming up the vehicle with the baby inside. She left momentarily to close her garage door, leaving the key in the ignition, and when she came back she saw her car being driven away with the infant inside, police said.
It is not clear whether the person who took the car knew there was a baby in the backseat, police said Monday.
The girl was found by police unharmed inside the abandoned Jeep at 11:22 a.m. about 4 miles to the south, in the 400 block of Amargosa Court in San Jose.
The suspect sketch showed a woman the mother had seen standing near her car just before it was taken.
