SAN ANTONIO — A 10-year-old San Antonio boy made a daring escape from the family car when he woke up to find it being driven by a thief, police officials said.
Authorities said it happened around 7 a.m. Thursday, after the car was stolen from a gas station along the 11000 block of I-35. According to police, a man left his son sleeping in the back seat of his Lexus and went inside the convenience store while his gas was pumping.
When he returned, the found the car gone, his son presumably still inside.
Police say the child was able to jump out of the vehicle about a mile away before running to a nearby car dealership for help.
Daniel Carretero was a red light when he saw that very vehicle pull up next to him.
"This little boy just jumped out of the back," Carretero said. "He looked scared, he didn't know where to go."
Carretero said once the light turned green, the thief took off and the child started running through traffic.
“Something was very wrong," Carretero said. "The way he looked scared, and the way he ran."
The witness said he couldn't stop since he had to drop his kids off at school, but he drove back to the area to start searching for the child. He also called police.
“They ended up calling me a few minutes later, and they told me they found him."
The child was eventually reunited with this father. Meanwhile, San Antonio police are still looking for the car—a light-colored, older model, four-dour Lexus.
Police advise residents to never leave your car running. Instead, make sure to always take your keys and lock your doors before leaving your vehicle.