Thief drives car away with child inside…before driving it back to the same spot just minutes later
A mother has been reunited with her child after a stranger drove away her car with her child inside.
Police said the woman left the silver BMW 218D parked in the Union Street area of Larkhall, Lanarkshire, for a few minutes at around 4.15pm on Tuesday and when she returned the car was gone.
A short time later, a young man was seen getting out of the car after trying to drive it back to the same spot.
The child was found safely in the back of the car.
The boy is described as white, of slim build, about 6 feet tall and about 17 to 20 years old.
He was wearing a dark top with the hood up and dark shorts at the time of the incident.
Union Street in Larkhall, Lanarkshire, where the incident took place
Inspector Jim Mutter said: ‘Thankfully the child was not injured, but this was an extremely distressing experience for the mother and our investigations continue to trace the boy who was seen driving and getting out of the car.
‘We are asking anyone in the area to check private cameras and dashcams to see if they have captured anything that could help us.
‘We would also particularly like to speak to two elderly women who were sitting on a bench nearby, as they may have vital information that could assist our investigation.’
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2136 of Tuesday, December 31, 2024.