Footage has been released of the horrifying moment a mother desperately chases after her stolen car while her four-month-old son is allegedly strapped into the backseat.
The scene unfolded at around 7.45am on Monday, 30 May, in an Adelaide car park when the mum popped into a shop to buy bread.
While she was inside, a man wearing a black jacket and baseball cap is seen getting out of a pickup truck before getting into a white car said to be owned by the mum and driving off.
The woman then runs into frame and desperately tries to stop the car, which disappears out of sight.
She ran back inside and alerted shop staff while making a frantic call to Triple-0 operators for help.
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Reporting on the incident, News.com.au notes that after a ‘mass search’ for the child, he was found safe at around 10.00am still in the back of the vehicle.
The car had been dumped around six kilometres away in the suburb of Enfield.
The young boy was unharmed and taken to hospital for a check up, but has since been reunited with his mum.
Police released images of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with the incident and have since arrested 37-year-old Para Hills, while another man was arrested by Australian police on an outstanding warrant.
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In court, law enforcement will allege that Hills entered the car park in an already-stolen pickup truck before trying to steal the mum’s Honda.
South Australia Police Chief Inspector Matt Nairn said of the incident: “Police located the vehicle at Wilkinson Ave at Enfield and, thankfully, seated in the rear was the child.
“An ambulance has attended along with police and now mum and we can confirm the child is safe and well.”
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He went on: “It’s a great relief to South Australia police to reunite mum and child... you can imagine the distress that caused mum.”
Inspector Matt Nairn added: “To call [it] despicable is an understatement. You imagine from any parent’s point of view, it’s more than distressing.”
Another constable, Gen Cullinan, said on ABC radio that the car theft appears to be ‘random’ at this early stage.
He added that it looked as though the man dumped one car and tried to take another, meaning there’s no indication the individuals involved were known to one another.
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Aisha Nozari