6-Year-Old Boy Found Safe After Being Taken Away In Stolen Car
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for a thief who took off with an SUV that had a 6-year-old boy inside.
Six-year-old Ronald Mowatt arrived at Brookdale Hospital hours after the SUV he had been riding in was stolen as he sat in the backseat, CBS2's Valerie Castro reports.
The boy's uncle says he left Ronald in the SUV on Avenue L in Canarsie, then quickly went across the street to a plumbing supply store near East 96th.
Surveillance video captured what happened next. A man jumped into the running vehicle and drove away with Ronald still inside.
Police quickly put out the boy's picture on social media, along with a stock photo of the SUV.
Two hours later and about two miles away, the vehicle was found abandoned near Linden Boulevard and Georgia Avenue. Ronald was still in the backseat.
"We are very happy we had a positive outcome in this situation. We want to thank the public for their help and the community at large for their assistance, and it's always great when we have a positive result," NYPD Chief Charles Scholl said.
Police are still searching for the man who set off the scare, but the incident serves as a reminder that leaving a vehicle running with a child inside, no matter how brief, can be dangerous.
CBS2 has been told the boy appeared to be unharmed but was taken to the hospital to be checked out. It's unclear if his uncle will face any charges for leaving him unattended.