A car thief in Oregon got a lot more than she expected on January 22 when she jumped into an idling car in a school parking lot. Iosha Dashae Millage, 33, reportedly took the car for a joyride but apparently didn't realize two children were inside. Their father, whose name was not released, left his boys in the car while he quickly ran into his daughter's school, never imagining what was about to happen.
Millage allegedly seized the opportunity to steal the vehicle and took off with the 9- and 11-year-old children inside. The quick-thinking youngsters jumped out of the car at a stoplight and flagged down help. Minutes later, Millage was in police custody.
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The father reportedly tried to stop Millage.
According to a release from the Portland Police Bureau, the father left his car running with the two boys in it and went inside to pick up his 4-year-old daughter from her school. When he came back out, he allegedly saw Millage get into the driver's seat of his car and begin to pull away.
He attempted to stop her and injured his hand in the scuffle.
"I rushed over to try to stop her … but as I was holding onto the door, she took off," he told KGW8. "I wasn't fast enough to get her out of the car."
The young children made a brave decision.
About 10 minutes after the car was stolen, the children jumped out of the back seat while the car was stopped at a stoplight. "The children, uninjured, flagged down a passer-by who called 911. Central Precinct officers and Detective Division personnel responded quickly, ensured the safety of the children, then transported them to be reunited with family," police reported.
Their father told KGW8 it was the "longest 10 minutes I felt in my life." He was only concerned about his kids. "I didn't care if I didn't get the car back; I just wanted to have my kids back in my arms," he said.
Millage took off, and police continued to pursue the stolen vehicle.
A Multnomah County Sheriff's Office deputy reportedly spotted the stolen vehicle a short time later and began following it on Interstate 5. The car crossed state lines and was finally stopped in Washington.
The joyride ended in multiple charges, including an attempt to elude police, reckless driving, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and fugitive from justice.
The boys' father is grateful his kids are OK.
The father told KGW8 that he thought that leaving the kids in a car in a school parking lot was safe, but he was wrong. He advised other adults, "Don't take the chance I took."
He said his kids are all OK and he is thankful that no one was hurt. "That's all that matters to me: we're back together," he shared.
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A similar situation took place a few months earlier in the same area.
Per a December report by KGW8, Will Stevens' 2-year-old daughter was sitting in the car on the family's driveway near northeast Halsey Street and northeast 126th Street in late November when someone stole his car with the toddler inside. The father tried to stop the thief by telling him the child was inside, but he reportedly took off anyway. A short time later, the thief left the little girl on the side of the road.
"She had a really scared look on her face, she was shaking, but I think that was more the result of, she was out walking without socks," Stevens said, per KGW8.
