Stolen car recovered with 1-year-old in back seat

PHILADELPHIA — Police were searching for a suspect Thursday after recovering a car that was stolen with a 1-year-old in the back seat.

The child’s mother had put her son in a child seat with the vehicle running when she ran back into the house to get an item that she had forgotten. The car was driven off down Cobbs Creek Parkway.

“We believe that since the vehicle’s engine was running, someone saw an opportunity to steal the car, didn’t realize that there was a 1-year-old child in the back seat,” said Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Officers recovered the vehicle about 40 minutes later about three blocks away in a secluded area. The child was still in his car seat.

“We’re lucky that 1-year-old child is OK and reunited with the mother, so it’s actually a happy ending,” Small said. “The lesson learned here is don’t leave your engine running especially if you have your child in the back seat.”

Police were investigating the case as a kidnapping because the child was taken.