Coral Springs Police Release Father's Frantic 911 Call After Carjacking
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CORAL SPRINGS (CBSMiami) – Coral Springs police have released the 911 call of a father's frantic cry for help when his car was stolen with his 6-year-old daughter inside.
Surveillance video from a Sunoco gas station in Coral Springs showed what happened when this father left his car with his 6 year old in the backseat and went inside the store.
An opportunistic thief hopped in and took off.
Surveillance cameras rolled as the father gave chase but it was futile.
He immediately got on the phone and dialed 911.
"Hello. 911," the 911 dispatcher said.
"Hi. Yes," the father replied. "I have an emergency. Someone just stole my car with my daughter inside the car."
The father said his child was in the backseat.
"I had the car off and it's a push start so they jumped in and they crank it up," he said. "I went right in the gas station. I parked in the front of the door. Like right in front of the door. I walk inside the get something, turn off the car and they just jump inside and left."
Monday night CBS4 also spoke with the father in person.
He did not want to share his identity but he did share his gratitude for a jogger – Stayana Holder – who rescued his daughter after the car thief kicked the little girl out of the car.
"We can't thank her enough," the father said.
He also mentioned his gratitude for the Coral Springs Police Department.
"They just wanted to which direction the car went and that was it," he said. "So I really like to thank the Coral Springs Police Department for doing an awesome job and trying to get there as fast as possible."
This father said his daughter is still scared and will need time to get over the trauma.
He said he's learned to never leave a child in the car, no matter how quick the errand.
And most of all, he hopes this car thief is caught.
"I pray they catch him so everybody can go to sleep at night with peace knowing that they don't have to go through this," he said.
Coral Springs police said their detectives are working several leads in this case. But they said they still need the public's help to find that thief and the car – a 2012 Black Kia Optima with license plate CQQ V13.
If you have any information that can help, you are urged to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).