A would-be car thief in Galveston, Texas, decided against keeping his prize after discovering a 2-year-old boy still in the back seat, according to a report from the Galveston County Daily News.
Galveston Police Captain Jeff Heyse told the paper that a couple fishing from a rock pier earlier this week had their Mitsubishi Eclipse parked nearby. As they prepared their equipment, the woman decided the weather was too cold for the young child, leaving him in the car with the heater running while she went to help her boyfriend with the fishing gear, Heyse told the paper.
At this point, Heyse said, police believe a homeless man saw his chance to steal the car, which was left on for heat. He drove away, according to Heyse's statements to the Daily News, but almost immediately turned around and came back.
"The guy made comments about why would you leave your kid in the car" after being confronted by the angry mother, Heyse told the paper.
The couple called the police, but the suspect was not apprehended. He was described as a black man dressed in black clothing, according to the Daily News.
A similar incident, this one reported by the BBC in Manchester, England, happened the same day. An 8-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl jumped out of a BMW as it was being stolen from outside their home. Fortunately, the children suffered only minor bumps and bruises, the BBC said, and the vehicle was later recovered after being found abandoned. The alleged thief in the case has not been caught, Greater Manchester Police officials told the broadcaster.