Mother Reunited With 6-Year-Old After Alleged Car Thief Takes Off With Child In Back Seat

An alleged car thief managed to get into the driver's seat of a car and drive off with a 6-year-old in the backseat as the child's mom was shopping inside of a Minnesota pharmacy, according to a St. Paul Police Department spokesperson. 

Police were able to catch up with the suspect six blocks away from a Walgreens parking where he jumped into a woman's car, with her daughter seated in the back, WCCO reported.

The mother called the police around 7 p.m. Sunday in Highland when she finished running errands and noticed her car and the child were both missing.

Minutes later, police received a second phone call from good Samaritans who heard a girl crying outside their home. They invited her inside and called authorities, saying they weren't sure how the child ended up alone in the cold, according to Sgt. Mike Ernster.

The child was uninjured and quickly reunited with their mother minutes later. The suspect has not been arrested yet.

"It's a crime of opportunity," Sgt. Ernster told Inside Edition Digital.

About 49% of stolen vehicles in the month of January the city involved cars that had the ignition still on, the spokesperson said.

RELATED STORIES