Morning Con-mute: Escaped Inmate Caught Napping in Granny's Car| Crime Alert 6AM 12.18.2025

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Morning Con-mute: Escaped Inmate Caught Napping in Granny's Car | Crime Alert 6AM 12.18.2025
Date: December 18, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this fast-paced Crime Alert update, Nancy Grace and correspondent Jennifer Gould cover the morning’s most shocking crime headlines. The main story features a bizarre prison escape, with a fugitive found hiding in a grandmother’s car, plus gripping coverage of a high-profile extradition for the murder of a mother and a lighthearted but brazen holiday heist.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Escaped Inmate Found Napping in Grandmother’s Car

[00:01] – [02:59]

• Incident Summary:

  • Marie Steinberg, a 75-year-old North Carolina woman, discovers Charles Edward Babb, 23, hiding in her back seat as she prepares to leave for work.
  • Babb, in his prison-issued orange jumpsuit, had escaped the Chowan County Detention Center the night prior, slicing his way out with a homemade weapon.

• Notable Details:

  • Babb took refuge in Marie’s car, hiding under a blanket taken from her garage.
  • Coincidentally, he chose the home of Bob Steinberg, former state senator and advocate for prison reform.
  • Marie kept her composure, using what she called her “mother act” to keep Babb calm.

• Marie’s Interview (as reported by Jennifer Gould):

  • “I figured if I was nice to him, he’d be nice to me. And I said, well honey, let me go in and get you a coat.”
    — Marie Steinberg, WAVY 10 News [~01:45]
  • Babb, shivering and hungry, repeatedly apologized and asked Marie for a phone and directions to the nearest McDonald’s.
  • The standoff ended when Babb bolted from the car. Marie alerted her husband and called 911, leading to Babb’s quick apprehension just a few houses away.

• Legal Outcome:

  • Babb now faces multiple new charges: felony escape, breaking and entering, and larceny.
  • As Jennifer Gould quipped:
    “He tried to catch a ride to freedom, but instead he got driven straight back to his concrete suite.” [02:55]

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2. International Manhunt: Husband Extradited in Wife’s Murder

[04:42] – [07:58]

• Incident Summary:

  • Jose Mar Cabrera, 36, extradited from Peru to Los Angeles, charged with the murder of his wife, Sheila Cabrera.
  • Cabrera had fled to Peru with the couple’s three sons after allegedly disposing of Sheila’s body in the Angeles National Forest.

• Key Investigation Details:

  • Sheila, 33, was reported missing August 12; her remains found bound in industrial material four days later.
  • Surveillance footage: Cabrera seen dragging a bulky object wrapped in material matching that found with Sheila's remains.
  • The three sons were recovered safely by Peruvian authorities and reunited with maternal relatives in California.

• Community Response:

  • Neighbor Sylvia Perez on ABC7 Los Angeles:
    “We haven’t got justice for her, you know. So I’m happy that you know they’re gonna get justice for this lady.” [05:30]

• Legal Developments:

  • The L.A. County D.A. filed murder charges with a special allegation involving knife use.
  • Cabrera is currently held without bail, pending arraignment.

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3. Holiday Whodunnit: Santa Heist at Kramer’s Tree Lots

[07:59] – [08:14]

• Summary:

  • Thieves stole Kramer’s Tree Lots’ iconic 40-foot-tall inflatable Santa—the festive centerpiece for over 25 years.
  • The crew slashed through a fence, dragging away Santa and leaving visible marks in the gravel.

• Notable Quote:

  • Jennifer Gould, noting the feat:
    “Owner Kyle Kramer is stumped on how the thieves even pulled it off, because it took four grown men just to hoist the massive mascot.” [08:10]

• Community Effort:

  • Neighbors reviewing security footage to help police recover Santa before the holidays lose their spirit.

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Memorable Quotes

• Marie Steinberg, on defusing the situation:
  “I figured if I was nice to him, he’d be nice to me. And I said, well honey, let me go in and get you a coat.” [01:45]

• Jennifer Gould, wrapping up the escape story with humor:
  “He tried to catch a ride to freedom, but instead he got driven straight back to his concrete suite.” [02:55]

• Neighbor Sylvia Perez, expressing hope for justice:
  “We haven’t got justice for her, you know. So I’m happy that you know they’re gonna get justice for this lady.” [05:30]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:01] – Main story intro: North Carolina woman finds escaped inmate in her car
• [00:27] – Details of the case and Marie Steinberg’s approach
• [01:45] – Marie’s description of her interaction with Babb
• [02:55] – Capture and charges for Babb
• [04:42] – International manhunt reaches a conclusion: Cabrera extradited to face murder charges
• [05:30] – Community reaction to Cabrera case
• [07:59] – The inflatable Santa heist detailed

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Episode Tone and Highlights

Nancy Grace’s signature direct, no-nonsense style drives the episode, balanced by Jennifer Gould’s lively storytelling and wry humor. The episode spotlights both the bizarre and sobering sides of crime—showcasing the tension of real-life drama (as in the jail escape), the heartbreak and complexity of international justice (in Sheila Cabrera’s murder), and even a dash of holiday mischief with the Santa theft. The pace is brisk, the reporting sharp and vivid, and each story is punctuated with memorable, quotable moments.

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For more crime and justice news, listeners are encouraged to visit crimeonline.com and follow the daily podcast for ongoing coverage.

Transcript

[A]

Crime Alert. I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. A North Carolina woman on her way to work sees something move in her backseat and uncovers a shocking discovery. 75 year old Marie Steinberg finds 23 year old Charles Babb hiding in her car one morning just before work. Bab, 23, recently escaped from the Chowan County Detention Center. Good morning. Jennifer Gould has the details.

[B]

Nancy Talk about a backseat driver. Marie Steinberg got the ultimate jump scare in Edmonton, North Carolina when she went to unlock her car around 7:30 in the morning. She was expecting a routine drive to work, but instead found a literal jailbird nesting in her backseat. The uninvited passenger was 23 year old Charles Edward Babb, who had pulled a disappearing act from the Chowan County Detention center just the night before.

[A]

Before.

[B]

And of all the houses in Edenton to end up at, he picked the home of former state senator Bob Steinberg, who had pushed for prison reform during his 10 years in politics. Bab was not exactly blending in either. He was still rocking his prison issued orange jumpsuit and was cozied up under a blanket he swiped from the Steinbergs garage loft. This hitchhiker had escaped custody using a handheld edged weapon to slice his way to freedom. Instead, though of a high speed getaway, he decided to play hide and seek in Marie's unlocked car. Rather than losing her cool, Marie used what she called her quote unquote mother act to keep the fugitive calm. Chatting him up while he repeatedly apologized for being freezing and famished. Marie spoke to WAVY 10 News. I figured if I was nice to him, he'd be nice to me. And I said, well honey, let me go in and get you a coat. The desperate con actually asked the 75 year old if she had a phone and where's the nearest McDonald's? Where's it located? Apparently freedom tastes like a McDouble. The standoff ended when Bab bolted from the vehicle and fled down the driveway. But he did not get too far because Marie alerted her husband, dialed 911 and Edenton police nabbed him just a few houses away. Bab is now facing a laundry list of new charges including felony escape, breaking and entering and larceny. He tried to catch a ride to freedom, but instead he got driven straight back to his concrete suite. For the latest crime and justice news, follow Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on your favorite podcast, Apple. You can also watch Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Fox One and YouTube. Nancy.

[A]

Thanks Jennifer. More crime and justice news after this.

[C]

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[A]

The coziest time of year on Britbox. That means making piping hot tea on a chilly day, wrapping yourself in something soft on the sofa, and getting lost in a brilliant series. This holiday season, Britbox has you sordid with the best of British tv. Curl up with eyebrow raising mysteries on the cliffy English coast in the new season of Beyond Paradise. I love Beyond Paradise. Escape to sweeping countryside manors where headline making scandal is just another Tuesday in Outrageous. Or patrol the charged streets and criminal underbellies of Belfast in the new season of of the BAFTA winning police drama Blue Lights. Britbox gives you the kind of entertainment that makes being home on a blustery day a true luxury. So however you cozy, it's all a bit warmer with Britbox. See holidays differently when you stream the best of British TV with BritBox, our family's favorite. Watch with a free trial [e-mail].

[B]

A high profile international manhunt reached its conclusion when Jose Mar Cabrera, 36, was extradited from Peru to Los Angeles to face charges for the murder of his wife. Cabrera arrived at Los Angeles International Airport under heavy guard, marking the end of a complex diplomatic effort to return him to the United States. The defendant had been in the custody of authorities in Lima since late August following his decision to surrender to the Peruvian National Police after fleeing his Lancaster, California home. Neighbor Sylvia Perez spoke to ABC7 Los Angeles we haven't got justice for her, you know. So I'm happy that you know they're.

[A]

Gonna get justice for this lady.

[B]

The criminal Investigation began on August 12th when 33 year old Sheila Cabrera, a mother of three, was reported missing by her family. The search ended in tragedy four days later when her remains were located at the base of a steep embankment within the Angeles National Forest south of Lancaster. Search and rescue personnel discovered the victim's body tightly bound in industrial material, a detail that would later prove pivotal to the prosecution's case. Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau quickly identified Jose Mar Cabrera as the primary suspect after obtaining surveillance footage from the couple's apartment complex. The video allegedly captures Cabrera in the early morning hours dragging a heavy, bulky object shrouded in material matching that found in the forest and out of the residential building. Prosecutors contend the object was the bagged body of his wife. Following the alleged disposal of the remains, Cabrera fled to his native Peru, taking the couple's three young sons with him. The children were later located by Peruvian authorities and safely returned to California to be reunited with their maternal relatives. While the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released the formal cause of death, the DA's office has filed murder charges accompanied by a special circumstance allegation involving the use of a knife. Cabrera is currently held without bail and is awaiting his formal arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court. And finally, talk about a big time heist. Kramer's Tree Lots, a family staple for 25 years, is feeling deflated after a crew of holiday hoodlums snatched their iconic 40 foot tall inflatable Santa that would leave me tremendously upset. The festive fiends cut through a fence and literally dragged the joy out of the lot, leaving marks in the gravel where the towering St. Nick was just hauled away. Owner Kyle Kramer is stumped on how the thieves even pulled it off because it took four grown men just to hoist the massive mascot. Neighbors are reviewing security footage to help police wrap up this case before the holiday spirit is lost in the woods. Phoenix police are investigating, hoping to find the naughty crew before they can inflate their ego any further.

[A]

Nancy for the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast Crime Stories, where we we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides with this crime alert. I'm Nancy Grace.

[D]

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It's the coziest time of year on BritBox. That means curling up with a gripping murder mystery, basking in a sumptuous period drama, or discovering a new hidden gem. See the holidays differently when you stream the best of British TV with BritBox. Watch Britbox original series, including the new season of the award winning Belfast police drama Blue lights. However you cozy this holiday, it's a bit warmer with BritBox. Watch with a free trial at BritBox.com.

[F]

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