Two Suspects Arrested, Child Recovered in Interstate Child Abduction Case

Fairmont, NC – The U.S. Marshals Service, Eastern District of North Carolina, announces the recovery of an abducted 20 month old child and the arrest of two subjects wanted in connection with the abduction of this child from the Richmond, VA, area.

Deputy U.S. Marshals, along with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the Fairmont Police Department, located the child Wednesday morning at a residence at 117 Liberia Street in Fairmont. Derrick Baker, 42, of Fairmont, and the child’s 17 year old mother, of Henrico, VA, were arrested at the same location. The child was placed in the custody of the Robeson County Department of Social Services, and the individuals arrested were taken to the Robeson County Jail where they are awaiting extradition to Henrico County, VA. This investigation was a collaborative effort between the Henrico County Police Department, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the U.S. Marshals Service in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fairmont Police Department. Additional assistance was also provided by USMS task force officers from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, and North Carolina Department of Public Safety / Security Services.

“The safe and swift recovery of abducted children, and the apprehension of those responsible for such egregious crimes, will remain the top priority of the U.S. Marshals Service,” said Scott J. Parker, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The interagency cooperation that led to the conclusion of this investigation demonstrates and highlights what can be accomplished when federal, state and local law enforcement agencies work together in the pursuit of justice for the innocent.”

On May 29, 2015, President Obama signed into law the “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015,” providing the U.S. Marshals Service with enhanced authority to support law enforcement requests to assist in missing child cases. This legislation services to bolster an already robust partnership between the U.S. Marshals Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that has resulted in the recovery of more than 600 missing children by U.S. Marshals Service personnel since 2003.