Imagine starting your Monday morning with a fugitive in your backseat—welcome to Marie Steinburg’s reality.
Marie Steinburg, 75, wife of former North Carolina Republican State Senator Bob Steinburg, faced this chilling reality when she found 23-year-old Charles Babb, an accused thief, cowering in the backseat of her Honda Civic around 7:30 a.m., the New York Post reported.
She had just unlocked her vehicle in Edenton to head to work when movement caught her eye. Her quick thinking and composure in that startling moment deserve a hard look.
Babb had broken out of the Chowan County Detention Center the night before, on Sunday, using what police described as a makeshift edged weapon. Details on his escape remain scarce, but his presence in Steinburg’s car shows a glaring gap in local security.
While authorities had warned residents to lock doors and windows, labeling Babb armed and dangerous, Steinburg found herself face-to-face with the fugitive. She opted for calm dialogue instead of panic, a choice that likely kept the situation from escalating.
“I figured if I was nice to him, he’d be nice to me,” she told WAVY. Her words reveal a pragmatic instinct, but let’s be real: no one should have to barter kindness for safety in their own driveway.
Steinburg’s attempt to reason with Babb unfolded as he apologized repeatedly, shivering and claiming he was cold. She even offered to grab him a coat, a gesture that speaks to her empathy under pressure.
But Babb didn’t stick around for the offer, bolting down the driveway and leaving behind his prison sandals and a face mask. His flight suggests desperation, not menace, though that’s cold comfort for anyone in Steinburg’s shoes.
Inside, she rushed to lock the door, call her husband, and dial 911, her hands trembling as she struggled with the key. Her reaction shows the raw fear of the moment, a reminder of how vulnerable these breaches make everyday citizens.
Edenton Police moved quickly, capturing Babb nearby shortly after Steinburg’s 911 call. His swift arrest is a relief, but it doesn’t erase the breach that let him roam free in the first place.
Babb was already in custody on felony breaking and entering plus larceny charges before his escape. That record raises sharp questions about why containment failed and how a makeshift weapon played into his breakout.
The Chowan County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation into the jailbreak, a step that’s long overdue. Taxpayers deserve transparency on how a locked facility turned into an open door for a fugitive.
Former Senator Bob Steinburg, who pushed for prison reform during his decade in office, commended his wife’s handling of the ordeal, crediting a higher power for their safety. His perspective carries weight, but it also highlights a system that’s failing to protect families like his.
The couple now vows to never leave their car doors unlocked again, a small but telling change in their daily routine. Marie Steinburg quipped that her husband would ensure it, a light jab that masks the gravity of their scare.
This incident isn’t just a personal wake-up call; it’s a public one. When escapes like Babb’s happen, they chip away at trust in the very institutions meant to keep communities secure, and that’s a problem no amount of locked doors can fully fix.