Durham mother carjacked at gunpoint near Streets of Southpoint as baby slept in backseat

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A young mom was carjacked at gunpoint in a Durham parking lot as her 10-month-old baby boy slept in the backseat.

"I grew up in Durham," said the woman, who asked not to be named. "It's my home so it's some place I feel very comfortable. If someone asked me where one of the safest places in Durham was, I'd probably say Southpoint."

Durham police said it happened in the old Pier One parking lot in the Renaissance Center across from the mall at 3:30 p.m.

This mom said she had left her home nearby to try and get her son to take a nap.

She pulled over in the parking lot after he fell asleep and started reading while waiting for a pick-up order to be ready.

"I was completely engrossed," the mom said. "All of a sudden I hear, 'Give me your keys, get out of the car!'"

Initially, she thought the three young men might be scared off when she said she had a baby. But they let her get son and his diaper bag and tore off.

The mom said she sat in the parking lot and called police and her husband.

Police recovered the car later that night next to an apartment complex on House Avenue in Durham.

The front half was spray-painted and things were scratched off.

Three car seats, a stroller and a duvet cover she was trying to return to Target were all gone

The mom says she is focusing on the positive.

"Any time your baby is in danger, even now just looking at him, you think, 'What if, what if' constantly," she said. "But the important thing is we're okay."

Police said there is no suspect information at this time.

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