Suspect sought after stealing SUV with 5-year-old in Fort Worth

Suspect steals SUV with 5-year-old child in Fort Worth

Fort Worth police are searching for a man who allegedly stole an SUV with a five-year-old girl inside, but stopped a short distance away to let the child out unharmed.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth police are looking for a man accused of stealing a car while a child was inside.

Police say at first the mother thought her five-year-old daughter was somehow driving away until she realized that within a few seconds a carjacker hopped behind the wheel.

What we know:

A mother putting groceries away was rattled to her core after a suspect stole her SUV while her five-year-old girl was in a car seat in the backseat.

The Fort Worth Police Department says it happened in La Gran Plaza’s mall parking lot early Sunday evening.

The mother started her 2014 Ford Explorer and put her daughter in the backseat to cool off, according to police. As the mother returned a shopping cart near her SUV, a man hopped in and drove off.

"She literally explained to us that she thought ‘how in the world is my child driving off in my vehicle' and then saw the adult male inside," said Fort Worth Officer Buddy Calzada. 

"We got called to the location on an original auto theft/kidnapping. So, we get to the scene and realize that a vehicle has been taken. There was a 5-year-old child inside this vehicle when it was taken."

What they're saying:

"This was just an individual that was looking for an opportunity and literally found that split second," said Officer Calzada.

Police say the carjacker saw the girl in the backseat, stopped the SUV in another area of the parking lot, and put her outside before driving away.

"They were probably scared for their lives. Who is that stranger, you know?" said Calzada. "Everybody was just fine, a little shaken up, especially the mom."

Local perspective:

Beatriz Hinojosa was shopping at the same grocery store on Monday evening with her 10-year-old daughter. 

"And so I tell them they need to stay close to me because you can’t trust people anymore," said Hinojosa.

A vehicle theft which could have had a much scarier ending, but police still have a warning.

"Again, we want to encourage everybody to just keep your head on a swivel."

What's next:

No arrests have been made. Police say if caught, the driver will face an auto theft charge and possibly kidnapping.