A baby boy was found safe along a sidewalk in Philly’s East Falls section late Monday after, police said, the child was abducted when a vehicle was stolen.
According to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small, the incident happened at about 10:51 p.m. on Monday night when a vehicle was stolen from the 3400 block of Henry Avenue in Philly’s East Falls community.
At that time, Small said, a woman parked her black Honda Accord in front of her family’s home with her one-year-old boy inside and, at some point, the vehicle was stolen by an unknown individual.
However, the victim had a tracking device on the car and was able to help police located the stolen vehicle.
Yet, when officers tracked down the vehicle after it was abandoned along the 4000 block of Parkside Avenue, there was a baby seat inside the car, Small said, but the child was missing.
Officers then returned to Henry Avenue just after midnight where, Small said, they located a family member who found the one-year-old boy abandoned on a street corner about a block away from where the vehicle was initially stolen.
The baby, he said, was reunited with their mother and grandmother and was unharmed.
He said investigators believe the car thief found the child in the vehicle and dumped the baby along the sidewalk before abandoning the vehicle in West Philadelphia.
Early Tuesday, Small said, investigators were still reviewing surveillance footage from the incident and were not yet prepared to provide a description of the thief sought in this incident.
But, he said, an investigation was ongoing.
Police are asking anyone who may have information to submit an anonymous tip to the Philadelphia Police Department’s Tip Line by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477)
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.