Man Charged in Kidnapping of Boy Left on I-5

A Sacramento man who allegedly left a 2-year-old boy on a shoulder of the Golden State Freeway has been charged with kidnapping, child stealing and child abuse, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Rich Reginald Blackwell, 18, allegedly abandoned the boy, who was strapped in a child’s car-safety seat, on a stretch of Interstate 5 above Castaic.

The boy, Johnathon Thomas, was found by a truck driver about 6:40 a.m. Tuesday. He is believed to have been abandoned for two hours in temperatures near 40 degrees, law enforcement officials said.

Los Angeles police said the boy’s mother, Kindra Hughes of Carson, had driven to a post office with Blackwell, who is her cousin, and the boy.

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According to police, Blackwell drove off with the boy while Hughes was in the post office.

Blackwell, described by police as having a history of emotional problems, was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Bakersfield. Officers said he had been breaking car windows in a motel parking lot.

Blackwell faces a maximum prison sentence of eight years if convicted of the kidnapping charge. The child stealing and child abuse charges carry maximum prison terms of four and six years, respectively.