A frightening car theft in Atlanta ended with relief after police rescued a 2-year-old girl who had been inside a vehicle when it was stolen. According to the reporting, new police body camera video shows the dramatic rescue, capturing the moments that led officers to the child after her mother's car was taken with the little girl still in it.
The ordeal began with a panicked call for help. According to the reporting, the mother called 911 on Thursday afternoon and said she was dropping off an Instacart order when her car was stolen. In the call she can be heard telling the operator, someone just stole my car and it has my two-year-old daughter in it.
The theft happened in the span of a routine delivery. According to the reporting, the frantic mother told the operator that she was dropping off an Instacart order when she came back outside and found that her vehicle was gone. The operator confirmed with her that her daughter was inside the vehicle at the time.
Investigators moved quickly to try to locate the car. According to the reporting, police from the auto crimes unit jumped into action, utilizing license plate readers to track the car's movements. The technology gave officers a way to follow the stolen vehicle as it moved through the area.
One of the officers described how the search unfolded. According to the reporting, the officer said they were able to ascertain the license plate and immediately began tracking it, eventually tracking the car to a parking lot. That trail led officers directly to where the vehicle had ended up.
The confrontation at the scene brought the search to a close. According to the reporting, officers approached the car, ordered a man out of the vehicle and arrested the suspect. With the suspect in custody, attention turned to the child who had been inside the stolen car.
The story ended with the toddler safe and in good spirits. According to the reporting, the 2-year-old was returned home safe and was soon asking officers for high fives, even offering to share her sippy cup. Officials described it as a remarkable ending to what could have been a tragic day.