SUV stolen with small child asleep in the backseat

A seatbelt buckle. (Source: Mark Stebnicki/Pexels)

A four-year-old child was found safe after a stranger stole the car they were sleeping in, according to Ontario police.

On Monday, the SUV was parked at a plaza near Willow Road and Westwood Road in Guelph, Ont.

The child’s mother called 911 around 4:20 p.m. when she noticed the vehicle was missing.

She said the child was asleep in the backseat.

“(The Guelph Police Service was) told a man had left a business with stolen merchandise,” they wrote in a media release. “When an employee tried to stop him, the man exposed himself before getting into the SUV and driving away.”

Sixteen minutes after it was reported stolen, the vehicle was found on a nearby street.

“The child was still asleep inside and was not physically injured,” police said.

Officers then located and arrested the suspect.

The 29-year-old man from Guelph was charged theft of a motor vehicle, theft under $5,000 and committing an indecent act.

Reminder from police

Police also wanted to remind the public about the danger of leaving children in cars, especially during a heat wave.

“Never ... leave children or pets unattended in vehicles, even for a short time,” they said. “On hot days, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise quickly and create a serious risk of heat-related illness or death.”