NYPD searching for man seen in surveillance video stealing car in Queens with 5-year-old girl inside
JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) -- A moment of severe panic turned into a sense of relief for one mother after seeing her car get stolen with her child inside.
The incident happened outside a grocery store on Jamaica Avenue near 169th Street around 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
In newly obtained surveillance video, a man is seen hopping into a double-parked Toyota Rav4 before speeding off with the woman's 5-year-old daughter inside. Inside the market, the mother quickly noticed, ran out and attempted to chase the car down, but she was too late.
The NYPD says a good Samaritan found the child about 15 minutes later near the YMCA on Parsons Boulevard and brought her to the 103rd Precinct, where she was reunited with her mother.
Investigators later found the missing car in the Bronx.
Andy Quito was there when the carjacking happened, but says he didn't think much of it at first because people stealing is not an uncommon occurrence in the neighborhood.
"I just saw a car sped off and then I heard a person yelling," Quito said. "I thought it was nothing unusual because normally those things happen here, you know a lot of arguments, a lot of fights."
According to the NYPD, there have been more than 2,000 grand larcenies of vehicles citywide this year, with 36 of them being in this area.
A cautionary tale for the community, residents like Rhonda Davis say it's important for parents to remain vigilant.
"I'm a mother as well, and I would never leave my baby or my small child in a car," Davis said. "Even if you're just running in for a second, I think you should take them with you."
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