Suspect tried to steal vehicle with 2-year-old inside: Stratford police

Police in Stratford, Ont., are on the lookout for a male suspect who allegedly tried to steal a running SUV but backed out of the plan after realizing a child was in the backseat.

Police say a woman left her SUV running outside as she walked her older child into school at Jeanne Sauvé Catholic Elementary School about 9 a.m. Monday. Her two-year-old child was in the backseat.

While she was in the building, police said a witness saw an unknown male enter the SUV, exit a short time later, and get picked up by a man in another vehicle. Police are presuming the suspect bailed on the plan after discovering the child.

When the woman returned to her vehicle, the witness told her what happened, and police were called. Officers conducted a search of the area but no suspect was located.

The suspect is described as a white male, between 30 and 40 years of age, with a heavier build, wearing a grey hoodie and jogging pants. The vehicle the suspect was picked up in is described as a dark coloured sedan.

“Everyone involved in this incident is grateful that the property was returned and the child was brought back unharmed,” police said. “However, it is still important that the police locate the male involved to help prevent any similar incidents from happening in the future.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact 519-271-4141 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).