Missing boy found after Amber Alert, 1 arrested - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

WARREN, Ohio - The search is over this morning for a missing 3-year-old boy.

Responding to an amber alert, A an off-duty Warren Police officer located Michael Babuka around 5:30 a.m. Police say the toddler was inside of a car that was parked beside outside a home on Tod Avenue in Lordstown.

One person, 42-year-old Ross Francis, was arrested.

Police say Babuka's father had left his son in the car for a brief moment to pick up his daughter while on John Street in Niles Thursday evening. During this time, Francis, confirmed to be intoxicated at the time, walked by the area, saw the car was still on and got into the vehicle.

Francis said he did not realize a 3-year-old was in the backseat of the vehicle.

Police say when the man discovered there was a child in the car he had stolen, he drove away from the area in a panic, in an effort to lose police.

Eventually, an off-duty officer caught on the trail of Francs, followed him into Lordstown and recovered Babuka.

Francis immediately surrendered peacefully. Babuka was sent to the hospital for observation. 

Francis is charged with kidnapping and auto theft. Police officials in Niles say that Francis was picked up by Weathersfield police earlier that night, noticing that he had been drinking.

They would eventually drop him off at a corner store, about 15 minutes before the incident occurred, according to police.