911 call sheds new light on disappearance of Baby Grace

Rescuers in South Carolina say they’ve found the body of a missing 5-month-old baby that was allegedly lost in a creek.

Sarah Toney waits for a bond hearing on Thursday, November 5, 2015 in Conway, S.C. Toney is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child after she lost her 5-month-old daughter in a creek.

The Horry County Police Department will confer with the Solicitor’s Office in regards to additional criminal charges for Baby Grace’s mother, 33-year-old Sarah Toney.

“I went into the water with her and was unable to hold on to her. I didn’t intentionally put her in any danger”.

Rescue workers in eastern South Carolina have resumed the search for a 5-month-old girl after a woman said she put her baby in a creek near Socastee. She was also held on an outstanding warrant unrelated to the case before she was charged with unlawful neglect, police said.

At a news conference on Thursday, Horry County police Chief Saundra Rhodes said that the baby was found less than 75 yards from Toney’s home.

Toney has an extensive history with local law enforcement officers and has been arrested in connection with numerous offenses involving drugs, theft and domestic violence, according to records with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Toney was found at the residence on Simms Drive after the incident and was immediately taken into police custody as the search began. Kayle White said she saw Toney pushing the baby around the neighborhood in a stroller, but they never spoke.

Horry County police, with assistance from Horry County Fire Rescue and The CUE Center for Missing Persons and several other agencies, are continuing to search for Grace.

Neighbors said Toney kept mostly to herself. “I’d like to be with my other child until we find Grace”, Toney said during the hearing.

According to police, Toney also has another 9-year-old daughter, who has been released into the care of her biological father.

Dispatch: Okay, so she walked up…she said she had a baby with her?

Back on the scene: The search for Baby Grace was suspended each night because of the conditions.

According to public records, Toney has had a tough past year, having been arrested at least twice in the past 12 months. At the time of her most recent arrest (in association with the disappearance of her baby), she was on probation stemming from a March arrest. But I don’t know where to take her, she doesn’t know who to call.

Horry County Deputy Coroner Darris Fowler confirmed Wednesday evening Grace Carlson Santa Cruz was recovered from the Socastee Creek near Simms Drive. It is in God’s hands. “It’s been our experience that there’s a 48 to 72 hour window for a body to float and we’re still in that window, so we’re hoping to have a few results”, Denis said prior to the baby being found.