(KRON) — A toddler was kidnapped by a car thief in Oakland Tuesday, dropped off in San Leandro, and found by a good Samaritan who spotted the boy wandering alone. Law enforcement officers said the boy was physically OK and reunited with his mother.
In Portland, Oregon on Monday, two children jumped out of stolen car to escape at a red light after their father had left them alone in the backseat.
Following the kidnappings, child safety advocates are stressing the importance for never leaving a child alone in a vehicle. “Not even for a minute. It only takes a few seconds for a car thief to jump into a vehicle and be gone. Thieves watch for vehicles to be left running, or unattended with the keys inside. Most of the time, they don’t realize that there is a child inside until after they have already stolen the vehicle,” wrote Kids and Car Safety, a national child safety group.
According to data documented by Kids and Car Safety, in 2023, 162 children were kidnapped by car thieves nationwide.