DOTHAN, Ala. — An Orlando kidnapping suspect was arrested in Alabama after police used license plate readers and drones to locate her vehicle and recover a missing child.
The Dothan Police Department said officers were notified Wednesday, July 29, that 38-year-old Jenay Dominique Burns could be in the Dothan area.
Burns was wanted in Orlando on charges of kidnapping a minor and violating probation, according to police. Investigators also learned that a child younger than 10 was with Burns and was the subject of an emergency pickup order issued in Orange County.
Florida authorities used license plate readers to confirm that Burns’ vehicle was near Dothan.
Investigators with the Dothan Police Department and Houston County Sheriff’s Office, who are assigned to the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, then began searching for Burns and the child.
Police said drone operators used photographs from the license plate readers to locate a red Nissan Rogue with a Florida license plate on West Main Street.
Investigators stopped the vehicle near the intersection of U.S. 231 South and Highway 109, just south of Dothan.
Burns was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Houston County Jail. She is awaiting extradition to Florida.
The child was found inside the vehicle and placed in the custody of Alabama’s Department of Human Resources. The agency will coordinate the child’s return to family members in Florida.
“This case was a great example of how layers of technology, good police work, and interagency cooperation can help lead to successful resolutions of potentially dangerous situations,” Dothan Police Chief William Benny said.
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