A car thief reportedly drove back to a mother in Northwest Oregon after he discovered her small child was left in the backseat of the SUV he stole, Oregon Live reported.
“He actually lectured the mother for leaving the child in the car and threatened to call the police on her,” according to Officer Matt Henderson, a Beaverton police spokesman.
The incident happened in the parking lot of Basics Meat Market on 11900 SW Canyon Road, reporters said Saturday (January 16). Police said the mother parked outside the store's front door and went inside to buy a gallon of milk and some meat. Authorities said she was 15 feet from the store, but she left the engine running and the doors unlocked.
That's when the thief noticed the unlocked and had the keys in the ignition, Henderson said. As he reportedly backed the vehicle out of the parking space, he realized there was a child in the backseat.
Not only did officials say he returned to the mother, but he berated her for leaving the child in the SUV. “He orders her to take the kid out of the car, and she does,” Henderson added. “Obviously, we’re thankful he brought the little one back and had the decency to do that." The suspect then drove off with the stolen SUV, according to Oregon Live. Reporters said he's still at-large.
“What she did was not a crime. She was within sight and sound of her child,” Henderson said. “But she left the car running, so take that extra step, take the keys with you. It’s a good reminder to take extra precaution when we have our little ones with us.”
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