Police recover child following carjacking in Van Nuys

A man was arrested in Van Nuys early Tuesday afternoon after he stole a vehicle that had a one-year-old child inside of it. 

Los Angeles Police Department officers were dispatched to the scene at around 2 p.m. after learning that a carjacking had occurred outside of a Starbucks located near the intersection of Woodman Avenue and Sherman Way. 

The child's mother had quickly run into the coffee shop to pick up a mobile order when a man pushed past her and took off in her vehicle, according to the father. As he drove off, the mother tried to grab onto the SUV and hold on as it drove away but was unsuccessful. 

While leaving the area, the suspect hit another vehicle, which also caused that driver to follow the suspect in order to get a license plate number, calling police in the process to alert them of the location.

A short time later, officers located the stolen vehicle near Woodman Ave. and Saticoy Street in Panorama City, where they recovered the child, named James, who had been unharmed. 

The suspect was found nearby, in the 13600 block of Wyandotte Street, where he was taken into custody without further incident. 

As they were detaining the man, the child's father arrived, following the LAPD chopper as he rushed to the area.

"As a parent I don't think anybody wants to witness that," said Gustavo Flores, the father, who noted that he attempted to rush the suspect and punch him but was held back by police. "I tried to punch him, honestly. I only got a kick from it."