Man steals running car, then realizes 8-month-old is sleeping inside, Utah cops say

A man was arrested after being accused of stealing a car that was carrying a sleeping 8-month-old girl, Utah officials said.

A 29-year-old stole the running car from a driveway while the baby’s mother “finished picking up her other kids” on Aug. 5, according to a news release by the Salt Lake City Police Department.

When he realized the 8-month-old was inside, he drove to the sheriff’s office and handed the child to an off-duty officer, police said.

He told the officer he had just stolen a car, police said.

A South Salt Lake police officer was in a nearby parking lot and came over to help the off-duty officer detain the man, then Salt Lake City police arrived, officials said.

The baby was not hurt and was reunited with her mom, police said.

The man was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a theft of a motor vehicle charge, officers said.

This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Man steals running car, then realizes 8-month-old is sleeping inside, Utah cops say."