Baby safe; dad turns himself in

A nationwide Amber Alert ended abruptly Wednesday morning when a suspect entered the Charleston Police Department, handed his infant daughter to officers, then turned himself in.

Charleston County sheriff's investigators charged Corey R. Heyward with custodial interference after they said he took 5-month-old Cori'anna Heyward from her mother, her legal guardian, and threatened to hurt the baby if she called police.

Heyward, 23, of Hollywood also was served with an outstanding warrant charging him with criminal domestic violence, Maj. John Clark said.

Shakeria Sawyer, the baby's mother, called deputies at 2:28 a.m. Wednesday and reported that Heyward and his brother took the baby from a child seat in the back of her car about 1:15 a.m., according to an incident report.

Sawyer told deputies that she and her cousin were in the drive-through of a Magwood Road McDonald's when one of the men entered the car and took the baby against her wishes.

She said Heyward told her she would never see the child again if she called law enforcement, the incident report said.

Sawyer drove to her mother's house in Hollywood, hoping that Heyward had taken the baby there. When she realized he hadn't, she called police, the report said.

The Amber Alert was issued about 7 a.m. Signs along the interstates urged motorists to call authorities if they saw a black Dodge Magnum with 22-inch chrome rims.

Deputies searched the homes of Heyward's friends and relatives and were looking for the vehicle when Heyward showed up at the police station with the child at 9:30 a.m.

Clark said the baby was handed over without incident. She is in the custody of the Department of Social Services, Clark said.

It was the second time in a week in which an Amber Alert was issued to help find a child allegedly taken by his or her father.

North Charleston police have charged Geonaldo R. Young with holding his ex-girlfriend against her will and taking their 2-year-old child, Geomari, for several hours on Sept. 29.

A relative eventually delivered the child to authorities. Young was arrested hours later after investigators said they found him hiding in a Charleston apartment complex.

Reach Andy Paras at aparas@postandcourier.com or 937-5589.