A terrifying ordeal for a Philadelphia mother ended with relief when her 4-year-old son was safely returned Wednesday morning, after being abducted during a carjacking.
The child’s mother had briefly left her car running outside a family member’s home on West Susquehanna Avenuewhen someone stole the vehicle—with her sleeping son still inside.
Realizing her car and child were gone, she immediately called 911, prompting a swift police response.
Officers across the city were alerted, and the Philadelphia police aviation unit was deployed. Fortunately, authorities were able to track the stolen car using a tracking device inside the boy’s toy.
The aviation unit spotted the vehicle just a mile away and guided ground officers to its location within seconds. Inside, they found the child still asleep in the backseat, unharmed, with the engine still running—but the car thief had vanished.
Chief Inspector Scott Small stated that the suspect remains unknown, and police believe the boy being abducted was unintentional.
“Whoever took the car, we don’t have at this time,” Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
“We believe what happened was someone took the opportunity and once they realized there was a child inside, they pulled over and got out,” Small said.
Police are now reviewing additional surveillance footage and examining the stolen car for fingerprints or DNA to identify the thief. The case remains under investigation as a stolen vehicle and abduction.
For the mother, the nightmare lasted about 40 minutes—but it ended with her son safely back in her arms.
