A thief drove several miles Tuesday behind the wheel of an SUV that had been stolen from a mother before realizing he had also kidnapped a 2-year-old toddler, whom he quickly abandoned on the road.
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It all started late Tuesday when the mother called 911 to report that her vehicle had just been stolen and her son had been kidnapped in Oakland, California, the Marin County Sheriff's Office said.
The thieves realized their mistake after driving several miles to the nearby town of San Leandro.
In surveillance video broadcast by ABC News, the stolen vehicle can be seen stopping and a man getting out, holding a toddler under his arm. The man drops the child behind the car and then quickly flees.
About a minute later, a bus stops near the toddler. The driver was curious and called the police. Camera footage shows that people from nearby businesses also came out to see what was happening.
“It happened right here on my doorstep. “It doesn't really surprise me anymore that something like this is happening because the crime has gotten out of control,” witness Versie Adams told ABC News.
The police were able to quickly return the child to his mother.
Since the thieves also took the woman's iPhone, she was able to use the Find Me application installed on her phone to lead police to her stolen car.
Two suspects, a 31-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man, were finally arrested.