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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/20/first-picture-mother-injured-birmingham-carjackers-drove-baby
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| First picture released of mother injured by thieves who drove off with baby | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A photograph of a mother reunited with her four-week-old baby after a carjacking has been released by West Midlands police. | A photograph of a mother reunited with her four-week-old baby after a carjacking has been released by West Midlands police. |
| Clare O’Neill was injured as she tried to get her newborn daughter, Eliza, out of the vehicle as it was taken from her on Thursday afternoon. | Clare O’Neill was injured as she tried to get her newborn daughter, Eliza, out of the vehicle as it was taken from her on Thursday afternoon. |
| O’Neill, 39, pulled up on her drive in Acocks Green, Birmingham, at 4pm and was immediately approached by two men. As she fought to get her daughter out of the car, the men drove off, injuring her face and legs during the struggle. | |
| Officers across the city began a search for the baby and 45 minutes later an ambulance crew at Small Heath health centre found her safe and well, still in her car seat. | |
| Witnesses told the Birmingham Mail: “I heard someone shouting ‘my baby, my baby.’ | |
| “I thought it was a domestic. Two cars sped off out of the street, her car following another car very closely behind. They were so close you couldn’t see the front licence plate on her car. | “I thought it was a domestic. Two cars sped off out of the street, her car following another car very closely behind. They were so close you couldn’t see the front licence plate on her car. |
| “I saw the car they arrived in but only one person was in it, so whether the accomplice was lying down or already on the street I don’t know. | “I saw the car they arrived in but only one person was in it, so whether the accomplice was lying down or already on the street I don’t know. |
| “The woman was injured. She had abrasions on her legs and face.” | “The woman was injured. She had abrasions on her legs and face.” |
| Neighbours rushed out to help O’Neill. Kanu Chavda, 68, and his wife heard screaming and shouting outside their home. | Neighbours rushed out to help O’Neill. Kanu Chavda, 68, and his wife heard screaming and shouting outside their home. |
| “When she looked out the window she saw a struggle going on. All of the residents came out and the mother was on the floor. She was bruised and bloodied,” he said. | “When she looked out the window she saw a struggle going on. All of the residents came out and the mother was on the floor. She was bruised and bloodied,” he said. |
| “She said her baby had been snatched by two guys, with one wearing a black hood. I’ve lived here for 30 years and never known anything like this.” | “She said her baby had been snatched by two guys, with one wearing a black hood. I’ve lived here for 30 years and never known anything like this.” |
| DI Jim Munro said: “This incident has shocked the whole of our force area and we will leave no stone unturned in our search for the offenders. We have a team of officers trawling through CCTV and speaking to residents in Marie Drive, as well as fast-tracking forensic analysis of the baby seat. | DI Jim Munro said: “This incident has shocked the whole of our force area and we will leave no stone unturned in our search for the offenders. We have a team of officers trawling through CCTV and speaking to residents in Marie Drive, as well as fast-tracking forensic analysis of the baby seat. |
| “We are asking anyone who may have seen the grey Audi A3 S-line with registration number BJ66 YLV since yesterday afternoon to contact us. | “We are asking anyone who may have seen the grey Audi A3 S-line with registration number BJ66 YLV since yesterday afternoon to contact us. |
| “We are delighted that mother and baby have been reunited and we wish Clare a speedy recovery.” | “We are delighted that mother and baby have been reunited and we wish Clare a speedy recovery.” |
| The force tweeted the photograph with the message: “First pic of mum Claire O’Neill and baby Eliza released after terrifying #AcocksGreen car-jacking ordeal.” | |
| Neighbours have said the family were expected home on Friday evening and other locals turned up to leave flowers and baby clothes for the baby. Claudia Gardner, 43, bought trousers for Eliza and said she was kept awake all night thinking about the attack. | |
| She left a note reading: “This is just to say that people out there are thinking about you, your baby and your family and are shocked by the horrendous incident you had to endure.” | |
| Outside the Small Heath health centre police continued to look at CCTV footage. | |
| Meanwhile, two receptionists who found the baby were praised by patients. One said they managed to calm the child before calling the police. The baby was examined at the health centre before being moved to Birmingham’s Heartlands hospital as a precaution. | |
| The patient, who did not want to be named, said: “They were so calm and really looked after the baby. She was in safe hands.” | |
| It comes just three days after another Audi S3 was stolen in a carjacking six miles away in the Nechells area of the city. CCTV shows a young mother being forced to flee with her daughter, two, in Jameson Road at 1.30pm. | |
| The gang staged an “accident” and jumped in the car as the father got out of the vehicle. | |
| West Midlands police said they were not linking the carjackings but it was one line of inquiry. | |
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