South Dakota woman charged with stealing baby in Iowa

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — A 35-year-old South Dakota woman has been accused of stealing a baby from inside a vehicle at the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office.

Jamella Lancaster, of Sioux Falls, S.D., faces a felony charge of child stealing.

Authorities say she reached inside a vehicle parked outside the sheriff’s office on Saturday and took a 13-month-old child. Sheriff’s Sgt. Nate Huizenga says Lancaster walked around with the baby and, for several minutes, wouldn’t return the child to the child’s grandmother. Eventually the child was turned over to a relative unharmed.

Lancaster was taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.

A public phone listing for Lancaster couldn’t be found. It’s unclear whether she has an attorney. Online court records don’t list the case yet.