Man punches woman, snatches baby, kidnaps both from Walmart, police say

A Fayetteville man was arrested on Nov. 26 in connection with the Sept. 21 kidnapping of a woman and a baby after striking the woman and snatching the baby in the Walmart at the Fayette Pavilion.

Marcus Farmer-Crane, 24, was charged with kidnapping, simple battery, reckless conduct and third-degree cruelty to children, according to Fayette County Jail records.

Fayetteville Police Department spokesperson Ann Marie Burdett said officers at approximately 8:20 p.m. on Sept. 21 were dispatched to Walmart at the Fayette Pavilion in reference to a domestic disturbance.

Burdett said police met with the complainants/witnesses, who reported that they observed a black male in a blue jersey-style shirt punch a black female twice in the face with his fist and snatch a baby from the shopping cart. The female pursued him in an attempt to retrieve the baby.

The complainants/witnesses called the police while running through the store and following the male and female, but lost sight of them briefly as they exited the store. The complainants/witnesses also exited the store and went to the parking lot area, where they saw a large crowd of people, said Burdett.

“The complainants/witnesses reported that the unidentified male pushed the female and young baby that was seen inside the store together earlier into a vehicle,” said Burdett. “The female was seen to make several attempts to get out of the vehicle, but the male subject repeatedly pushed her back into the vehicle. One of the complainants stated that they told the male subject to stop. However, the subject jumped into the driver seat and sped off in the vehicle with the rear door still open.”

Burdett said a complainant/witness was able to obtain the license plate number for the vehicle, adding that police ran the vehicle’s tag information and, with that information, made contact with the registered owner of the vehicle.

The vehicle owner is the mother of the female involved in the incident, and she was asked to contact her daughter. Those attempts were unsuccessful, Burdett said.

“The mother was informed that her daughter was seen with a black male, and she was asked if she knew who the male subject she was seen with might be,” Burdett explained. “The mother stated that she might know who the male could be. The mother telephoned the number for the unidentified male involved in the incident. The male answered the call and responded by stating that her daughter did not want to talk to anyone right now, and he hung up the phone.”

Burdett said witness statements were obtained, and video footage from inside and outside the store was obtained and placed into the police department’s evidence room. The case was turned over to the Criminal Investigations Division (CID).

The investigation by CID detectives subsequently identified Farmer-Crane as the subject involved in the Sept. 21 domestic disturbance, and criminal warrants were sought.

Burdett said Farmer-Crane was detained in another jurisdiction for an unrelated matter, and was arrested and transported to the Fayette County Jail.