More on Scottsdale kidnapping
PHOENIX (KSAZ) - New Wednesday morning - details about the woman accused of stealing a car with a little girl inside.
The vehicle was stolen as the girl's dad withdrew money from an ATM.
Now new details are emerging as to why the suspect may have committed the crime.
The suspect was arrested Monday and admitted to police that she took the car to go and buy drugs.
She said she had no idea there was a child inside, once she realized it, she decided to leave the car in a WalMart parking it.
FOX 10 has also learned that she was released from the Scottsdale City jail minutes before.
42-year-old Tracie Otero is the woman accused of stealing a car in Scottsdale last Thursday night with a 2-year-old girl in the backseat.
FOX 10 was there was she was reunited with her frantic mom and dad, we've also learned some interesting new details about how this all happened.
According to the police report, Otero had just been released from the city jail just minutes before she stole the car. She was in jail for shoplifting at another WalMart.
She told police she saw the car parked at a bank with the engine running and decided to take it because she needed more heroin.
Otero said when she noticed the girl in the back seat she began to cry but did not take the car back. Instead, she drove to the WalMart at 37th St & Thomas and ditched it, leaving the engine running and the doors unlocked with the toddler still strapped in her car seat.
After releasing a surveillance photo of Otero, they were able to track her down and arrest her in Phoenix.
When she was taken into custody, she had a glass pipe with residue, and foil holding a black tarry substance. She admitted to police that the substance was heroin and that she shoplifts to support her drug habit.
Otero is now facing several felony charges including kidnapping and car theft. A judge set her bond at $50,000. The little girl was not harmed during the incident.