This Mom's Quick Thinking Saved The Life Of 3-Year-Old Kidnap Victim

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This Mom's Quick Thinking Saved The Life Of 3-Year-Old Kidnap Victim

Just weeks before Valentine's Day, store owner of Mini's Cupcakes,  Leslie Fiet, saw something that would change her life forever.

Fiet was working on the final prep for Valentine's Day treats when she noticed an Amber Alert flash across the screen on her cellphone.

Kidnapped

The 44-year-old mother of two noticed something familiar in the details of the Amber Alert that sent chills through her body. Little 3-year-old Bella Martinez had been sleeping inside her father's black SUV when a stranger jumped in and drove off with the baby inside.

Leslie Fiet

Fiet knew that she had seen the SUV just moments before, parked outside her shop.

"After I got the message I looked out my door and saw the SUV but there was no license plate on the front," Fiet, who opened Mini's in 2007, told ABC News. "I went to the other side and saw the license plate and thought, "˜Oh my hell.'"

Find out what she did next on Page 2...

Impulsive Decision

Bella's father, Pedro Martinez, was distraught. He tells police that a woman had approached him for a cigarette when he stopped at a convenience store.

She waited until he stepped into the convenience store (about 25 blocks from the cupcake shop), then she jumped into the car and drove off with his sleeping daughter.

Rescue

Fiet peered into the windows of the SUV and what she saw made her stomach drop. Sure enough, it was the right vehicle and inside was tiny Bella Martinez, wailing her heart out.

"My initial thought was to call 911 but then I looked closer and saw Bella was in a tremendous amount of stress, hyperventilating and crying," Fiet said. "I just dropped my phone and ran out the door."

Instead of calling the authorities, Fiet knew that she needed to act fast. She climbed in through the open window and scooped up the terrified little girl.

"My thought was just to get her out of the car," she said. "As I'm diving through the open window I thought, "˜Please don't shoot me,' and then I thought, "˜Well if they drive off I'll be hanging out the window and someone will call 911.'"

Leslie Fiet

Find out how it ended on Page 3...

Reunion

It took about 30 seconds for Fiet to get little Bella into the safety of her shop, where she locked the door. She allowed a trusted customer to enter, who also happened to be a nurse.

Bella was unharmed, but shaken from the ordeal. The customer called 911 and Fiet calmed Bella with books and a stuffed animal.

Police arrived and not long after, Bella's relieved parents and extended family came to bring her home.

"The relief of knowing your child is safe and that nothing has happened to her, what else can you say? You're just in tears," she said.

Justice

As for the kidnapper? They fled the car long before Fiet got there. The suspect in the case turned herself into authorities later that night. She was arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and child endangerment.

[h/t: ABC7/ ABC News/ Daily Mail ]