Police arrest man who stole car with child inside in Grays Harbor County, WA

GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY, Wash. - Police arrested a man who stole a car with a child in the backseat in Hoquiam early Thursday morning. 

Timeline:

According to the Hoquiam Police Department, at around 1:25 a.m., officers responded to Circle K near the corner of Lincoln Street and Eklund Avenue after a woman reported her car stolen with her child still in the backseat. 

She explained to officers that she went inside the store to use the restroom, and left the car running with her child sleeping in the car seat. When she went back outside, her car was gone. 

Police reviewed surveillance video and quickly relayed a suspect's description to surrounding law enforcement agencies. 

About 17 minutes after the 911 call, an Aberdeen Police officer found the stolen car parked in the 2400 block of Pacific Avenue. The child was found sleeping in the car seat, safe and unharmed. 

The suspect was nowhere to be seen, but officers found a wallet inside the car that identified the suspect as a 40-year-old man with a Puyallup address.

Aberdeen Police deployed a K-9 unit to track the suspect, but due to weather conditions, the track was unsuccessful. 

"At 4:17 a.m., Lieutenant Salstrom, was on his way home, but that old police spidey sense made him return to check on the vehicle, believing the suspect who had fled with the keys might return," the Hoquiam Police Department wrote.

While in the area, the officer observed a man matching the description walking back to the car. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail for charges of first-degree kidnapping and motor vehicle theft.

What they're saying:

"We are thankful this incident ended with a positive outcome and the child was safely recovered without injury," the department wrote. "Big thanks to the Aberdeen Police Department for their quick assistance and response without hesitation or the need to be asked. The partnership between local law enforcement agencies in Grays Harbor is truly unmatched, and this incident highlights the strength of that teamwork."