EDENTON, N.C. — A 75-year-old woman in Edenton had a shocking start to her week when she discovered an escaped inmate hiding in the backseat of her car, according to local reports.
Marie Steinburg, the wife of former Republican State Senator Bob Steinberg, left her home for work around 7:30 a.m. Monday when she unlocked her Honda Civic—and found 23-year-old accused thief Charles Babb curled up in the backseat, wrapped in a blanket over his orange prison jumpsuit.
“I headed out the door and clicked the unlock, and it must have scared him, because the next thing I know, I saw something moving in my backseat,” Steinburg told WTKR. “I kept backing up little by little because I didn’t know what this man was going to do.”
Babb, who police said escaped from the Chowan County Detention Center Sunday night, quickly jumped out of the car. Authorities had warned residents to lock doors and windows, stay inside, and avoid confronting the armed fugitive. Despite the danger, Steinburg remained calm and tried talking to him.
“I figured if I was nice to him, he’d be nice to me,” she said in an interview with WAVY. She added that Babb repeatedly apologized, saying he was cold. “I thought maybe I could help, so I offered to get him a coat.”
Before she could do so, Babb ran down the driveway, leaving behind his prison sandals and face mask. Steinburg ran inside, called out to her husband, and dialed 911. “I was shaking like a leaf, and I could barely get the key in the lock, but I did,” she recalled.
Police apprehended Babb nearby shortly afterward. Authorities have not released details on how he escaped, other than that he used a makeshift edged weapon. Prior to his breakout, Babb faced felony breaking and entering and larceny charges, according to the Daily Advance.
Her husband, Bob Steinberg—who advocated for prison reform during his decade in the State Senate—praised his wife’s calm and courageous handling of the frightening encounter.
The couple also said the incident was a reminder to always lock their car doors. “Oh, let me tell you, if I don’t, he’s gonna,” Marie Steinburg said. “It’s one of those things that we learned.”
The Chowan County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation into Babb’s jailbreak.