Portsmouth Police arrested a man with a lengthy criminal record for kidnapping after they say he stole a vehicle with two children inside.
A woman contacted officers just after 4 pm to report that a man stole her black Lincoln with her kids still inside at Grant and Hutchins.
The 9-1-1 audio reveals the frantic search for the children. The mom told police she’d been told the man abandoned the vehicle near Grant and Summit and was rushing there on foot.
Officers discovered the vehicle in the 1500 block of Summit Street with two children in the back shortly before the mother arrived. Police said the children seemed fine.
Witnesses were able to point officers in the direction of a suspect, who was allegedly at his mother’s house. Officers arrested Donald Ray Bertram, Jr. for theft and two counts of kidnapping.
Bertram has a lengthy criminal history with more than 30 arrests. In the past year, he’s faced charges of burglary, drug possession, possession of criminal tools, receiving stolen property, and assault. He was out on bail for the receiving stolen property charge at the time of the incident.
His previous arrests include parole violation, contempt, probation violation, domestic violence, assault, obstructing official business, disorderly conduct, aggravated burglary, and felonious assault.
