Nashville police are on the hunt for a man who they say absconded with a jeep that had a 3-year-old child inside, according to officials. The vehicle was reportedly snatched from outside a Whole Foods on Broadway in downtown Nashville while the toddler's mother, a DoorDash driver, was inside the store making a delivery. The panic-inducing incident occurred on Sunday night, authorities said.
The desperate search concluded with a sigh of relief as officers found the jeep and the child unharmed at Trimble and Lewis streets. "The child is fine," Metro Nashville Police confirmed, noting that the mother has not been cited. WSMV reports that the man made off with the vehicle while it was still running, a fact that underscores the vulnerability of the moment and the swiftness of the thief's actions.
BREAKING: This man stole a running Jeep with a 3-year-old inside tonight from Whole Foods on Broadway. The Door Dash parent had gone into the store. The Jeep & child have been recovered by officers at Trimble & Lewis Streets. Child is fine. Recognize the thief? 615-742-7463 pic.twitter.com/E0UXlqxUvm
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) May 20, 2024
Metro Police have released a photo of the suspect, captured on CCTV during the incident, in an effort to bring the public into the loop. The man, whose image has been circulated around, is still at large, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. "If you recognize the man," they plead, citizens should call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463, as mentioned in FOX 17's coverage of the harrowing event.
