An infant in New York City is safe after a vehicle the baby was riding in was stolen in an alleged carjacking. The unnamed 6-month-old was reportedly left unattended in the back seat of a running minivan in the Bronx. The unidentified suspect allegedly saw an opportunity and took off in the minivan with the baby in the back seat.
Thanks to the hard work of the New York City Police
Department and the help of social media, the baby was found unharmed a short time later. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry tweeted an alert on X Sunday morning asking the public to be on the lookout for a gold 2000 Chrysler with Philadelphia plates. In less than an hour, Daughtry reported the child was safe, and a suspect was arrested.
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The carjacking apparently happened in broad daylight.
According to Daughtry's post, the child was left in the back seat of the minivan about 11:30 a.m. near the corner of East 146th Street and Third Avenue in the Bronx. The suspect took off with the baby inside.
Daughtry pleaded with the community to help locate the infant safely. "Please be on the lookout. New York, we need your help," he wrote.
The incident had a quick and happy ending.
Daughtry posted a second message a short time later stating the baby was found and was safe.
"Thanks to the public's assistance and the great work by the men and women of NYPD, the 6-month-old has been found safe, and a suspect has been taken into custody," the message reads.
The suspect reportedly has a criminal history.
A spokesperson with the NYPD said a 53-year-old suspect has not been charged but named a person of interest in the case, according to the New York Post. He was picked up shortly after the alleged carjacking while walking down East 140th Street in the Bronx.
He has reportedly been arrested several times, including on a grand larceny-auto charge from November 2023, when he allegedly took a Jeep Liberty on East 141st Street in the Bronx, sources told the Post.
Many wondered who had left the infant alone in the car.
Daughtry's post has been seen more than 35,000 times, and several people left comments about the adults involved.
One person wrote, "Please do something about the person who left an infant alone in a running car."
Several agreed. "And the parent that left a baby in a running car alone?" another person questioned.
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Some also criticized the NYPD for having an error in the social media message.
It appears Daughtry initially left a number out of the address, and New Yorkers quickly pointed out his mistake.
Someone wrote, "Nice job Kaz. Didn't know there was a 46th street in The Bronx. *146th.”
This person agreed, commenting, "Please verify the address and advise if all agency partners have been notified for LPRs."
And this X user condemned the police and the parents, tweeting, "Omfg. Wrong address and who the h— leaves a baby in a car?????"
