KENTWOOD, Mich. — A toddler is safe after being stolen in a vehicle on Tuesday.
According to the Kentwood Police Department, officers were called to the area near 48th Street and Marlette Avenue around 8:10 a.m.
Shortly thereafter, police received a phone call from a person who said the 2-year-old had been left on the side of a road less than a mile away. Police say the child was unharmed.
FOX 17 spoke to the parents of the toddler.
They declined to do an interview due to safety concerns, but said they were thankful the 2-year-old was safe. They described feeling “immense relief” when he was returned to them.
According to family, the incident happened as the toddler’s mother dropped one of her other kids off at the bus stop.
As she helped that child on board, she heard her driver’s side door slam shut.
Confused, she turned around and says she saw a man inside the vehicle. He then sped off westbound.
A Kellogsville Public School bus driver was then flagged for help.
The district’s superintendent says the driver, Dave Skinner, called 911 to get assistance. He then radioed colleagues about the situation.
One of those coworkers, Sue Workman, said she believed she had just passed the 2-year-old. She turned around to get the toddler then reunited him with his parents.
According to the district, roughly ten minutes had passed.
Investigators say the crime appears to be random.
Officers found the stolen car in Grand Rapids near 43rd Street and Breton Road shortly after it was snatched.
A search for the suspect was unsuccessful. Police have not released any information about their description.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kentwood Police Department Detective Bureau at 616-656-6604. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 or SilentObserver.org.
