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Incident unfolds outside after-school centre
Police in São Paulo arrested a man on Thursday after he drove off with a two-month-old baby still inside a parked car. The child's mother had briefly left the vehicle unattended while collecting her seven-year-old daughter from an after-school activity centre.
CCTV captures theft in seconds
Surveillance footage shows the mother stepping out of the car and standing near its front bumper as her daughter exits the centre. Within moments, an unidentified man enters the driver's side and accelerates away, taking the infant with him.
Rapid police response leads to rescue
After receiving the mother's emergency call, officers alerted nearby patrol units. The stolen vehicle was spotted approximately 2.7 km (1.6 miles) from the scene on a congested road.
According to police, the suspect attempted to flee when he realised he was being pursued but was slowed by heavy traffic. He abandoned the car, leaving the baby inside, and tried to escape on foot. Slipping on rain-soaked pavement, he fell and was quickly restrained by bystanders until officers arrived to handcuff him.
Baby returned unharmed; suspect hospitalised
Both the infant and the suspect were transported to hospital for assessment. The baby was reunited with his mother without injury, while the man, who sustained minor injuries during his arrest, was later taken into custody. Authorities confirmed the car has since been returned to its owner.
Mother recounts traumatic moment
"I do this every day. But today, unfortunately, there was someone who shouldn't have been there at that moment. Before I even turned my back to the car, he got in and took my son with him."
Maria Samara, mother of the child
Speaking to local media, Samara explained she routinely steps out to help her daughter lift a heavy school bag into the car. Holding her baby, she expressed relief that both children were safe and thanked police and bystanders for their swift intervention.
Public reaction captured on video
Videos circulating on social media show the mother and her daughter, along with several bystanders, running after the stolen car immediately after the theft.
