BEXAR COUNTY – A 1-year-old girl taken in a Wednesday morning carjacking was found safe after the suspect realized he was in the backseat and ditched the vehicle.
The girl was found in the abandoned stolen truck outside a Jack in the Box at 1818 N. Foster Road, near Interstate 10, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
Salazar said a father placed the child in the backseat of the truck around 7 a.m. at their home in the 7000 block of Celestial Moon and went back inside to get a second toddler. A man then got inside the truck and fled as a trail vehicle followed.
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At some point, the suspect realized the child was in the truck and parked it outside the restaurant, Salazar said.
The suspect called the Jack in the Box twice to let them know a baby was left inside a vehicle.
“He certainly developed a conscience, but he certainly should not have been out stealing people’s cars,” Salazar said. “Although we’re happy that he did the right thing and called it in, that doesn’t justify what he did initially."
The restaurant is located about a mile away from where the truck was stolen.
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A search for the suspect is underway. He faces a vehicle theft charge and possibly kidnapping or child endangerment charges.
Officials are asking anyone with information about the carjacking to contact authorities at 210-224-STOP.