A Gainesville woman’s car was stolen Thursday morning at around 7 a.m. with her toddler in the back seat.
Her car was stolen off of Southwest 35th Place and found about 40 minutes later with her unharmed child still inside.
Multiple law enforcement agencies like Alachua County Sheriff’s Department, University Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol, rallied to help find the child after someone called as the theft was happening, Gainesville Police Department spokesperson Graham Glover said.
“GPD, ASO, UPD and FHP all kind of flooded the area looking for the vehicle,” Glover said.
When law enforcement found the vehicle with the toddler in the back seat, officers immediately checked the child for injuries.
Police interviewed the child, the mother and witnesses in the area at the time of the theft. The toddler’s age is unknown.
Law enforcement is investigating a few people, Glover said.
“I’m hopeful that within the next 24 to 48 hours we’ll have somebody identified and behind bars,” Glover said.
Contact Troy Myers at @tmyers@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @Troy_Myers1.
Troy is the criminal justice reporter and a fourth-year journalism major with an outside focus in business administration. He previously studied accounting for two years at Santa Fe College but has since transferred to UFCJC. When Troy isn’t writing, he enjoys going to the beach and spending time with his dog, identical twin brother and family.
