A chilling incident unfolded late Sunday night in Wayne County when a man was arrested for stealing a vehicle with three young children inside. According to ClickOnDetroit, the mother had momentarily stepped into a store on Michigan Avenue and Venoy Road to purchase groceries, leaving her three-year-old child and two 18-month-old twins in the car.
The theft occurred around 11 p.m., and after the suspect absconded with the vehicle, it was last seen headed east on Michigan Avenue. An undercover detective in Dearborn Heights soon spotted the stolen vehicle with a man getting in and out of it, observed in the 27000 block of Cherry Hill, as reported by CBS Detroit. Seemingly unaware of the car being discovered, within a minute, a 911 call guided officers to the crying children in a parking lot, nearly two miles away from the initial sighting.
The children, found unharmed and still buckled in their car seats, were promptly checked by EMS and reunited with their mother. The suspect, a 25-year-old man, was apprehended in connection to the vehicle theft and implied kidnapping. WXYZ added details of the consequent arrest, stating it occurred around 11:30 p.m. at the Marathon Gas Station on the corner of Inkster and Cherry Hill in Dearborn Heights.
While this incident's outcome may appear fortunate due to the children's safety, it shines a stark light on the potential dangers that can arise in mere moments of oversight. Wayne City police, assisted by Inkster police, are investigating the case further. As these law enforcement agencies joined forces, the arrest of the suspect just four miles away at a separate location emphasized the swift response and cooperation between the different departments. The suspect's fate is to be determined as the investigation continues.
