A 2-year-old boy was found safe Monday night in a car seat in the back of a car stolen after a man drove off in it and led police on a chase in South LA.
Police hoisted the car seat out of the back of the car about 9 p.m. at Stocker Street and Santa Rosalia Drive where the chase ended. The boy appeared fine as an officer carried the child in a car seat to a nearby ambulance.
The child's mother rushed to the scene. She said she left the boy in her car when she ran inside a 7-Eleven store. She said she left the car on with the keys in the ignition.
"I ran inside, it was not even one minute," said Janel Monae Jones. "I looked outside and my car was gone. I was panicking, I was praying, I was worried.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
"I'm just glad my baby's ok. It's just a lesson learned. In the blink of an eye, anything can happen."
Police said it appears the child slept through the ordeal. Officers said he was still sleeping when he was pulled out of the car.
After stopping the car in the middle of a street, the driver crawled to a sidewalk and was taken into custody.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The man led police on a chase after taking the car at a gas station. The chase took place along streets in South LA.
At one point the driver crossed lanes into oncoming traffic. Police used spike strips that deflated a tire, causing the chase to eventually come to an end as the tire came off and the driver rode the rim.
