Booking Photo of Carjacking/Abduction Suspect Matthew Nash

Suspect: 24-year-old Matthew Nash

18-month-old Naomi Hilel is reunited with her mother. July 15, 2009

Surveillance photo of the carjacking suspect.

Surveillance photo of the carjacking suspect.

Toddler abducted during carjacking - Naomi Hilel

Naomi Hilel - Photo Courtesy of Naomi's Aunt

Police on the scene gathering information.

Police at the scene gathering information.

A woman pumping gas at this Virginia Beach 7-11 was carjacked by a suspect who took off with her vehicle and her baby.

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VB carjacking suspect captured in NY

Updated: Friday, 17 Jul 2009, 7:50 AM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 15 Jul 2009, 10:33 AM EDT

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Police captured the alleged abductor and carjacker of a little girl in Virginia Beach 500 miles from the scene early Thursday morning.

Mathew Nash, 24, was arrested near Syracuse, N.Y., at 4:30 a.m.

Police there say they found Nash hiding alone in the woods.

"Once he realized he was caught he went along with no resistance," said Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh.

Detectives in Virginia Beach say Nash attacked a mother at a gas station on Witchduck Rd., Wednesday morning and stole her minivan with her 18-month-old daughter, Naomi, in the backseat.

Two hours later Nash allegedly dropped the child off in the parking lot of a hotel in Newport News. Two hotel guests saw the child, brought her to hotel employees who called police.   Newport News officers quickly realized the child was the same little girl mentioned in an Amber Alert being broadcast throughout the area.


Soon, little Naomi was reunited with her parents.

But, police say Nash was still on the loose.

"Virginia Beach detectives made a lot of phone calls and did some research and found out that Nash had ties to that area in New York," said police spokesperson Margie Long.  "And so they contacted officials in Central New York and they were more than willing to help us. They searched throughout the night."

Several police agencies in Central New York searched for Nash and even spotted him a couple of times.  At one point, police say they were in pursuit of Nash, but they had to call off the chase because Nash was driving so dangerously.

Then, finally a chopper pilot with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office saw Nash.

"They were able to pick him up with the infrared on the chopper in a wooded area," said Sheriff Walsh.  "Our units surrounded the area and one of our deputies was able to apprehend him."

Police say Nash had ditched the stolen minivan not far away.

Now, Nash is in jail in New York, awaiting extradition back to Virginia Beach to face charges of abduction and carjacking.

And, little Naomi is safe and sound with her parents.

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