Armed Suspect Kidnaps 1-Year-Old During Apartment Break-In in Lubbock

LUBBOCK, TX – On Monday night, January 5, Lubbock police responded to a frantic 911 call reporting an armed man breaking into an apartment, firing a gun, and kidnapping a 1-year-old child.

Officers were dispatched to the Southstead Apartment complex in the 5500 block of 58th Street near South Plains Mall around 11:20 p.m. Upon arrival, officers confirmed that a child had been taken but determined the incident was not a random act. Despite that, officers treated the situation as an active kidnapping and immediately focused on locating the child.

Police quickly set up a perimeter around the complex, canvassed the area, and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the abduction. About an hour and a half later, an officer spotted a speeding vehicle matching the suspect description. Officers conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as 20-year-old Patrick Contreras.

During the stop, officers located the 1-year-old child inside the vehicle. The child was unharmed and was safely returned to the child’s mother.

Contreras was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Lubbock County Detention Center. He is charged with Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Another Felony and Aggravated Kidnapping with a Deadly Weapon. His total bond was set at $800,000.

The investigation remains ongoing.