Two accused carjackers sit in the Fayette County Jail, thanks to the quick thinking of the victim and the heads-up work of several 911 dispatchers.

A woman with a baby, when being abducted in her car at the Banks Station shopping center, called 911 and left her cellular phone running so she could give clues to her whereabouts during a 16-minute ride that ended safe and sound in Riverdale.

The call from the victim, who was later identified as Esther Green of Fayette County, came at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Monday, according to 911 assistant director Peggy Glaze. The caller was screaming into the phone, and operator Holly Eason initially thought it was a domestic dispute.

A friend of Green's, who had gone into a store and came out to see the Mercedes speeding away, called a minute later, telling dispatcher Marion Weston about seeing a man jump into the car and take off.

By the vehicle descriptions and references to the baby coming in simultaneously, the operators were able to deduce that the calls were about the same incident, Glaze said. "They pieced it together," she said.

Green constantly talked to the perpetrator, pleading for him to let her and her baby go while making subtle references such as "Why are we on Highway 314?" and "This is Belles and Beaus ­ why don't you let us out?" This allowed dispatchers to track the vehicle and notify police of its whereabouts.

When they heard her tell her abductor, "You're going toward Riverdale," the dispatchers alerted police in Riverdale, Fulton County and Clayton County, because they were unsure which direction the car would ultimately take.

Green made mention of the car reaching Highway 138, then asked if the perpetrator wanted money. "I have a Wachovia card," she said, then suggested a few specific banks near their location so authorities could get a better fix on them.

The driver stopped and picked up an accomplice, during which time Green called out the name of the business for the dispatchers. When one of them said, "We're not going to hurt you," she replied, "What do y'all want?"

"That clued us into the fact that there was more than one subject," said Glaze.

The final important piece of instruction Green gave was her question, "Why are you going north on [Highway] 85?" Shortly after that, Riverdale police stopped the car and arrested the abductors without incident.

The suspects have been identified as Stephen Eric Bonnett, 18, and David E. McDonald, 21, both of Ohio. They were handed over to Fayetteville Police and taken to the Fayette County Jail, charged with kidnapping and motor vehicle theft. Neither Green nor her child were harmed.

Glaze praised the dispatchers who worked the incident ­ Eason, Weston, LeAnne Kennedy, and Eureka Franklin. "They all worked as a team and did an excellent job."

Eason, who at age 20 has only been on the job for nine months, handled the call like a veteran, Glaze noted, calling her performance "superb."

"This is a positive outcome," Glaze said, adding that much of the publicity received by 911 departments in various jurisdictions is negative. "We want this story out."