A Washington, D.C., man faces up to 85 years in jail for allegedly stealing a vehicle with three children inside from the parking lot of a Silver Spring bank.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. on July 18, a woman parked her 2011 Ford Escape in the parking lot of the Capital One Bank at 8740 Arliss St. in Silver Spring. The woman’s daughter went inside with her, but she left the vehicle running with her three nieces sitting in the back seat, according to court documents.
While inside, 20-year-old Daivon Belt allegedly got into the car and drove away, with the three girls, ages 15, 9 and 2, still in the vehicle.
The 15-year-old said she saw what she believed to be a handgun in Belt’s waistband and pleaded with him to let the children out, saying he could have the car and any money and belongings in it, according to police. Belt pulled into a parking lot and took more than $400 before letting the children out of the vehicle.
Two days later, Prince George’s County police located the stolen vehicle in Hyattsville, court documents say. The vehicle was towed to the Montgomery County Public Safety Headquarters in Gaithersburg, where forensics teams processed the vehicle for DNA and fingerprints.
Fingerprints were found and matched with prints belonging to Belt in police databases.
Belt has a “lengthy criminal history,” according to court records, including arrests for armed robbery, possession of a deadly weapon, auto theft, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, assault, resisting arrest and fraud.
Belt was arrested and charged with armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping and theft of property valued between $1,500 and $25,000.
Both carjacking and kidnapping carry maximum sentences of up to 30 years in jail. Armed robbery has a maximum sentence of 20 years and the theft charge carries a sentence of up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Attorney information for Belt was not available in online court records Thursday morning.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
