Driver of Stolen Vehicle in Labor, 7 Children Inside

Children found with packaging tape over their mouths

RAMSEY, Minn. (AP) – Police in a Twin Cities suburb say they found a driver of a minivan in labor and seven children, some with mouths taped shut, in a vehicle officers suspected was stolen.

Authorities say an officer stopped the vehicle in Ramsey just after midnight, Tuesday, for a traffic violation and learned it had been stolen out of Missouri. The woman behind the wheel was in labor and taken to the hospital.

Ramsey Police Chief Jeff Katers says three adults were detained, including one man arrested for possessing a stolen vehicle. Police say the children in the vehicle seemed unresponsive and were awakened by officers. Some had packaging tape over their mouths. The children were checked by paramedics and released to family members after they were questioned.

Katers says two men were in the van, including the children’s father, who was arrested for failing to return the rental vehicle in Missouri. The other man was released. Katers says the children were playing with packaging tape and fell asleep, and says it’s not clear who put tape on their mouths.

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