Philadelphia Police found a young boy who was inside an SUV that was stolen in West Philadelphia Monday night.
The 4-year-old boy was sleeping inside his father's 2019 black Honda CRV along the 200 block of South 52nd Street around 6:40 p.m. The vehicle was still running with the keys inside while the father went into a nearby restaurant, police said.
"You should never leave your engine running," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. "Especially if you have a child in that vehicle. But this'll definitely be a learning incident for the father and I'm sure he'll never do something like this again."
As the boy sat alone inside the SUV, two men tried to enter the vehicle, according to investigators. Witnesses stopped one of the men, an 18-year-old, from getting inside, but the second man went into the vehicle and drove off, heading eastbound on Chancellor Street, police said.
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"And once we started questioning that second male who never got in the vehicle, he was able to provide information as to who he was with and who that person was that did take the vehicle," Small said.
Philadelphia police began a search for the boy. The vehicle was later found at 8:24 p.m. in the parking lot of a medical building on University Avenue and Curie Boulevard. The child was also found safe. He was later reunited with his family at a restaurant near 52nd and Chancellor streets.
Police are still searching for the man who initially stole the SUV.
