A shocking incident unfolded in Brooklyn on Friday morning when a 2-year-old boy was taken on a harrowing ride after a stranger hopped behind the wheel of an SUV left running by his mother. The quick actions of the police led to the safe recovery of the toddler within 10 minutes.
The 32-year-old mother had left her Nissan Pathfinder running with her son in the backseat while she stepped into a deli on Sutter Avenue near Van Sinderen Avenue in Brownsville. It was during this brief moment that 34-year-old Maurice Stephens seized the opportunity to drive off with the toddler in the vehicle.
Authorities were alerted when the distressed mother called 911 to report the car theft with her son inside. Stephens drove approximately a mile before he was intercepted by the police at Wyona Street and Liberty Avenue around 10:50 a.m. The officers were able to swiftly pull him over and rescue the frightened child.
Stephens, who has no connection to the family, was promptly taken into custody. He was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree kidnapping, criminal possession of stolen property, and endangering the welfare of a child. This was not his first brush with the law, as he had a prior arrest for criminal possession of a controlled substance in January in Midtown Manhattan.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of never leaving a vehicle running with children inside, as it only takes a moment for a dangerous situation to unfold. The prompt response from law enforcement ensured the safe return of the young boy and the apprehension of the suspect responsible for the alarming crime.
