North suburban Chicago family sues Volkswagen for holding up search for kidnapped toddler

By MARISSA PERLMAN

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — A Libertyville family is now suing Volkswagen for refusing to help police track their stolen car, while a kidnapped 2-year-old was in the back seat.

Back in February, two carjackers in that BMW ran over 34-year-old Taylor Shepherd, who was pregnant, after she pulled into her driveway. They stole her Volkswagen with her 2-month-old son inside.

The boy was later found safe in a parking lot in Waukegan.

During the search, police contacted the car’s manufacturer, asking them to track the car through the GPS. They refused to help until someone paid the $150 GPS subscription fee.

“This is an abducted 2-year-old and the response was there is nothing they can do this is their policy,” Dep. Cheif Chris Covelli with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

By the time that fee was paid, the child had already been found, abandoned in a nearby parking lot.

Volkswagen said back in February they have a procedure for emergency requests that, “they have executed this process successfully in previous incidents. Unfortunately, in this instance, there was a serious breach of the process.”

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