A man has been arrested after allegedly dumping a 15-month-old boy in a cardboard box in a supermarket parking lot before making off with the car the child had been sleeping in.
A red Volkswagen was stolen from the lot outside Farm Fresh Supermarket in Shepperton, in rural Victoria last week.
Upon realizing a child was asleep in the back, the alleged thief took the boy out and left him in a discarded box before leaving with the vehicle.
He was captured on CCTV running across the carpark with the sleeping child in his hands.
The boy’s mother returned to find the car missing and located her son unharmed. She called police who found the car a week later in Mooroopna.
A 32-year-old man was taken into custody on Friday with police thanking the public for their cooperation in providing information that led to the arrest.
Detective Acting Sergeant Andrew Costello last week described the alleged thief’s actions as “thoughtless and inhumane” and said the incident could have ended “horrifically”.
He also said the child’s mother had only been in the shop for “a matter of moments” and will likely never forgive herself.
The car had been running with the air conditioner on and doors unlocked with the baby asleep in the back.
“[The boy’s mother is] completely aware that she’s made an error in judgment, she’ll never do it again, and she’ll probably never forgive herself either,” Detective Acting Sergeant Costello said.
He said it is not safe to leave a child alone in an unlocked car.
