Sunday afternoon, a man subject stole a white Chevy Tahoe from the area of Southeast 158th Avenue and Southeast Alder Street. The caller reported her 6 year-old grandson was inside the vehicle when it was taken. The vehicle was running and the grandmother was outside of the vehicle, but nearby, when it was taken.
Officers saturated the area and located the child safe near Southeast 162nd Avenue and Southeast Taylor Street. The child reported the male driver had pulled over and told him to get out of the vehicle. He was reunited with his father after police located him. When he was located, he was on his grandmother's phone with his father.
The stolen vehicle was located, but was not occupied, in the area of the 15700 block of Southeast Alder Street. Officers attempted a K9 track, but were unable to locate the suspect.
Police say, this is a highly unusual event for a child to be in a vehicle when it is stolen. It is a good reminder, especially during this time of year as the weather gets cold, that there are opportunists who seek to steal vehicles that are running and not occupied by a driver.