Media

Pregnant woman allegedly stole news van with reporter inside: police

Police arrested a pregnant woman near Atlanta’s Ansley Park on Tuesday after she allegedly stole a news channel’s van and fled from the scene of an accident while a journalist was still inside the vehicle.

A spokesman for Atlanta police told reporters at a press conference that Seniqua Lunsford, 38, allegedly crashed a car into the gate of an apartment complex before exiting the vehicle and driving away in a van belonging to local news channel CBS 46.

“While the police officers got out to check on the wrecked vehicle, the driver of that vehicle got out of the vehicle — unbeknownst to the officers — walked over to the van that belonged to the news station, got in it and drove away,” Officer Steve Avery told reporters.

The journalist reportedly working in the back of the van, who Avery noted was also pregnant, attempted to get the woman to stop the vehicle before buckling herself into a seat. Moments later, the van reportedly crashed, according to police.

Avery added that it wasn’t clear what the extent of Lunsford’s charges would be but indicated that she would face a kidnapping charge for allegedly driving away with the van while reporter Iyani Hughes was in the vehicle.

Hughes was reportedly uninjured by the crash, but Lunsford suffered an injury to her arm. She is currently being held in a local detention facility awaiting trial.