St. Paul baby-snatching suspect is jailed

A long and unforgettable week for the parents of Ayden Hoang, an 11-month-old boy who was in the family car when it was stolen three days before Christmas, has ended in another dose of relief with the arrest of a suspect in the theft and kidnapping.

"I am just ecstatic right now," said Crystal Schramm, Ayden's mother, when told Thursday of the arrest. "I am so happy right now, I want to cry. This is the icing on the cake.

"It's an immense relief."

With help from tips, St. Paul police arrested Brandon J. Houge without incident at a Burger King parking lot Wednesday afternoon. Houge was charged Thursday with one count each of kidnapping and theft of a motor vehicle.

Police spokesman Andy Skoogman said about a half-dozen tips from the public were key in breaking the case.

According to the criminal complaint, a tipster said Houge had contacted him about buying a stolen car. The tipster said Houge told him there was one small problem: "There is a baby in it." The tipster told Houge not to call again.

Ayden was in the car Dec. 22 when it was stolen about 8:30 p.m. from his home in the 2100 block of Magnolia Street in St. Paul. He was found about 10 p.m. by passersby nearly 7 miles away in the 2000 block of Bradley Street in Maplewood. He had been left in his car seat in the cold near a garbage can at an apartment building, where he was found by residents. The car was found a couple of blocks away.

Suspect says he was high

Houge, who does not work at the restaurant in the 600 block of E. 7th Street, where he was arrested on his 34th birthday, told investigators after his arrest that he was high on methamphetamine when he stole the car.

According to the complaint, he said he had driven six to nine blocks before he realized there was a baby in the back seat.

He said he left the boy in a place out of the wind where he thought he would be found. He said he didn't know what else to do, that the drugs clouded his thinking.

He told police that he was glad Ayden was found "and apologized to his parents and everyone," the complaint says.

"First and foremost, we were always thankful that the little boy was found quickly and found OK," Skoogman said. "Our investigators worked really hard, thanks to the community, to track this guy down and hold him accountable for this crime."

Houge, who told authorities he is homeless, has an extensive criminal record that includes more than a dozen criminal convictions, records show.

Investigators believe Houge's motive was to steal the car and sell it. Investigators also say they believe Houge was alone when he stole the car, but police are not ruling out additional arrests. They are also looking into whether Houge is involved in other crimes.

The car was processed by investigators for fingerprints and other evidence.

The silver Pontiac, which became the subject of an Amber Alert that sleepless night, was just returned to them on Thursday, Schramm said.

jeanderson@startribune.com • 651-735-0999 cxiong@startribune.com • 651-735-1762