37-year-old man Ilias Sammy Latsis has pleaded guilty to abducting a four-month-old boy in Adelaide, after he stole a car at Klemzig with the baby still inside.
Latsis was arrested after allegedly stealing a Honda Jazz from outside a deli on Fourth Avenue on Monday morning, around 7.45am.
The baby boy was inside the car with the boy’s mother, a 29-year-old woman, inside the deli at the time.
The car was found abandoned at Enfield two hours later with the boy inside.
The baby was found safe and well and reunited with his mother at the scene.
According to the ABC, the 37-year-old man from Para Hills, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court via video link on Tuesday afternoon, where his lawyer Stephen Ey entered guilty pleas to theft and abduction.
According to the SAPOL report, the baby’s mother was inside the deli when Latsis pulled up in a stolen Mazda ute, and switched cars.
Latsis pleaded guilty immediately to three charges -including abducting a child and a car theft on top of driving two vehicles without consent- while his lawyer told the court his client wanted to express his remorse for the angst he caused the baby’s mother.Outside court, Mr Ey said his client was “very remorseful and upset” about the incident.When asked if he knew a baby was in the car, Mr Ey said: “No. And that’s why he panicked”.
The court heard Latsis would negotiate with prosecutors on one count of committing an act likely to cause harm.
Latsis also pleaded guilty to a further eight charges on another file relating to a trespass and series of thefts on May 16 and 17 at Stepney, Glynde, Kilburn and Gepps Cross.
He did not apply for bail and will return to court in late June.
