Taranaki police are on the lookout for a man who stole a car with a baby in the backseat, abandoning the infant on the side of the road as he made his escape, The New Zealand Herald reported.
Video footage of the incident, which occurred last Friday around 12.10pm at the intersection of Queen and Cameron Streets in Waitara, Taranaki, shows a car speeding around a corner. The footage then shows a man exiting the vehicle while it continues to roll, retrieving a baby from the backseat, and placing the child on the grass berm before driving off.
Police confirmed the incident and stated that the baby was found unharmed. The car had been stolen from outside a store shortly after the owner exited the vehicle.
This morning, police located the abandoned car on the corner of Henui and McLean Streets. A police spokesman noted that the vehicle had been "driven ... all over Taranaki over the weekend." An associate of the offender was arrested when the vehicle was discovered.
Authorities are now seeking the offender and have urged the public to come forward with any information. "If you saw the silver 2014 Peugeot 508 station wagon, or have any information that may assist in our investigation and locating the man involved, please contact police on 105," the spokesman said. Those with information can quote file number 240510/8076. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
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