Attempted Kidnapping in Santee
November 22, 2023 – San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials report that a woman has been arrested in connection with the 
attempted kidnapping of a child in Santee.
On Monday, November 20 just before 6:00 p.m., a woman tried to remove a one-year-old child from a shopping cart in the 100 block of Town Center Parkway. The suspect was not successful since the child was secured in the cart with a lap belt. She then took off on foot heading south toward Mission Gorge Road. Despite a thorough search of the area by Sheriff's Deputies and a Sheriff's ASTREA helicopter, the suspect was not located.
Detectives from the Santee Sheriff's Station immediately began investigating the incident. On Tuesday, November 21 around 7:30 p.m., detectives arrested Isela Ortega (31) in the 400 block of Orsett Street in Chula Vista. She is facing a charge of attempted kidnapping and will be booked into the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department and the Santee Sheriff's Station would like to thank the public and the media for their assistance and cooperation.
Original post: The Santee Sheriff's Station is investigating the attempted kidnapping of a child.
It happened on Monday, November 20 shortly before 6:00 p.m. in the 100 block of Town Center Parkway in Santee.
The parents of a one-year-old called 9-1-1 to report a woman tried to remove their child from their shopping cart as they were walking to their car. The suspect attempted to take the child from the cart several times. However, the child was safely secured with a lap belt. The suspect fled the scene on foot when the parents called 9-1-1. The child was not hurt.
Deputies from the Santee Sheriff's Station and a Sheriff's ASTREA helicopter immediately responded to the scene. They searched the area for the suspect, but she was not located.
The suspect is described as a white woman who is approximately 40 years old. She has long blond hair and stands around 5'7" tall with a thin build. The suspect was wearing a black sweatshirt or jacket that possibly had a white stripe on it and blue jeans.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Santee Sheriff's Station at (619) 956-4000. You can remain anonymous by calling San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Source: San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
