Toddler returned to parents after SUV stolen with child inside

A toddler was reunited with his parents in Florida shortly after someone stole his mother's SUV with him inside, police said.

The vehicle theft occurred Thursday morning outside a Holly Hill home, just north of Daytona beach, after the 2-year-old boy was left sleeping in a car seat, Holly Hill police said in a news release.

The child’s mother told officers that she pulled into the driveway of a relative’s house and ran inside to grab something. In a matter of seconds, someone walked from across the street, entered the vehicle and drove away with the child still in the SUV, police said

A short time later, someone called 911 after finding the boy in the parking lot of a nearby auto body shop, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded and returned the child to his parents. He appeared to be unharmed.

Police continued to search for red Volkswagen Tiguan and the person who stole it.

Associated Press