Ex-senator’s wife, 75, found escaped inmate cowering in the backseat of her car: ‘I was shaking like a leaf’
A 75‑year‑old woman from Edenton, North Carolina, had a start‑of‑the‑week scare that sent shock waves through her community. Marie Steinburg, who is married to former State Senator Bob Steinberg, was heading to work in her Honda Civic at about 7:30 a.m. Monday when she unlocked the car and found a 23‑year‑old man—Charles Babb, a convicted thief—crouched in the backseat, snug as a bug inside a blanket draped over his orange prison jumpsuit. “I headed out the door, and I clicked the unlock, and it must have scared the guy, because the next thing I know, I saw something moving in my backseat,” she told reporters, echoing what WTKR reported.
Babb had escaped from the Chowan County Detention Center Sunday night, according to police. When he realized he had been discovered, he leapt out of the vehicle. While the town was advised to lock their doors, stay inside, and avoid contact with a man described as armed and dangerous, Steinburg chose a different route. “I figured if I was nice to him, he’d be nice to me,” she said. Despite the fear, she offered him a coat and tried to keep the situation under control. “He kept saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so cold,’” she recalled. The fugitive then rushed down the driveway, abandoning his prison sandals and a face mask, just as Steinburg sprinted into her house, called her husband, and dialed 911.
The police responded quickly and apprehended Babb nearby. Authorities didn’t disclose how precisely the inmate managed to flee the jail, only that he used an improvised edged weapon. Before his escape, he was being held on felony charges of breaking and entering and larceny. The Edenton Police Department took the suspect into custody within minutes of the incident.
Steinberg praised his wife for keeping her composure in such a frightening moment. He has long advocated for prison reform from his decade in office. The couple vowed never to forget to lock their car doors again, with Steinberg saying, “Oh let me tell you, if I don’t, [my husband] is gonna,” reflecting the relief that the crisis was over.
The Chowan County Sheriff’s Office has since started an investigation into Babb’s jailbreak, seeking to understand how the escape occurred and how this close call can be prevented in the future. The incident is a stark reminder of the unexpected dangers that can arise even in ordinary morning routines.
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