"'Why did you leave the child alone in the car? I'm going to report you' - The 'Absurd Car Thief' Who Returned and Confronted the Owner"

Car thief. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A story is drawing attention where a thief who stole a car parked at a mart fled, then returned to the crime scene to scold the car owner before escaping again.

On the 16th, the New York Post and others reported that a woman who had briefly parked her car in front of a mart in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, experienced a bizarre theft incident.

At around 9:10 a.m. that day, the woman parked her SUV about 4 meters from the mart entrance on the roadside and entered the mart without turning off the engine. She planned to buy some groceries and return within 1 to 2 minutes.

Coincidentally, a thief passing by noticed that the car owner had not locked the car door, immediately got into the car, and drove off.

However, the thief soon realized that a four-year-old child was sitting in the back seat and immediately made a U-turn to return to the mart where the car was stolen.

The woman, devastated after realizing the child had disappeared with the car, then saw her approaching vehicle.

The culprit returned the child and scolded the woman for leaving the child unattended. He warned, "You should not leave a child alone in the car. I will report you to the police for neglecting the child."

The child was embraced by the mother, and the thief drove off again with the woman’s car.

A police official stated, "The situation where the woman left the child alone in the car does not constitute a crime. The car was parked 4 to 5 meters away from the store. It was a distance where the child could be seen and heard," but added, "Leaving the engine running and not locking the doors was careless. We should be thankful that the car thief had enough decency to safely return the child."

The woman’s vehicle was found a few hours later in Portland, but the police are still searching for the thief. The suspect is described as a person in their 20s to 30s with dark brown or black braided hair and wearing a multicolored face mask.

The police urged anyone with information about the culprit to come forward.