Ottawa police say they're investigating after three City of Ottawa vehicles were allegedly stolen on Saturday afternoon by "young people," and seen driving erratically down Gladstone Avenue towards Preston Street by eyewitnesses.

Police confirm they found three city vehicles with the keys in the ignition near the area of Gladstone and Loretta avenues around 3 p.m. Saturday, just down the road from a City of Ottawa traffic operations lot.

Investigators are looking for three "young people" in connection with the incident, but didn't provide ages or genders for those involved.

An eyewitness who phoned 911 told CBC News she pulled up beside one of the vehicles on Gladstone Avenue and saw "a child, maybe 10 years old" behind the wheel of the city truck, which she described as a "utility van."

She said she then saw a second city vehicle being driven by another "child, approximately 10 years old."

The eyewitness asked not to be named because of her professional connection to the city.

Police said they don't know if the vehicles were stolen from the city's traffic operations lot, which is just down the street from where the young suspects allegedly abandoned the vehicles before fleeing on foot when police arrived.

The City of Ottawa has refused to comment on this incident.