The parents of a four-month-old baby had a terrible ten minutes this morning, after their car was stolen from a San Francisco street while the infant was in the back seat.
According to CBS5, San Francisco Police Department officers were flagged down on Golden Gate Avenue at 10:41 this morning, on reports that a Toyota Scion had been stolen from the area with the baby inside.
According to SFPD spokesperson Officer Albie Esparza, the vehicle was taken from the 100 block of Golden Gate, which is between Jones and Market Streets.
KTVU reports that "The mother of the baby had left the child and her keys in the car."
"She saw a suspect steal the car, along with the baby in the back."
Officer Grace Gatpandan told Bay City News that the baby's parent "pulled over because someone had kicked the car while they were stopped at a traffic light, but Gatpandan said it was unclear whether that person had any connection to the car theft."
It was when the adult got out to see if there was any damage to the car that the suspect, identified by SFPD as 34-year-old SF man Solomon Alemu (photo above), allegedly got in and drove away with the child in the back seat.
Ten minutes later, police spotted the suspect vehicle a few blocks away on 7th Street, as the Alemu parked "in front of the public defender's office and get out of the car."
That's when police swooped in, recovered the baby, and arrested Alemu, who police say has no known link to the baby's family. "
He was booked into San Francisco County Jail on charges of vehicle theft, kidnapping, child endangerment, and probation violation.
CBS5 reports that the infant was unharmed in the incident, and has been returned to their family.