A 5-year-old boy was in the backseat of a car that was stolen from a driveway in Riverside early Tuesday morning.

The child was missing for an agonizing 15 minutes before police found him and the ditched vehicle nearby.

Police say the boy's mother was standing outside the car in front of the family's home when the carjacker jumped in the car which had the keys in the ignition and sped off, with the boy in the backseat.

This happened at around 1:15 Tuesday morning.

Riverside police found the car and the boy about 15 minutes later and four miles away.

Police say the suspect likely didn't realize the boy was in the car. He abandoned the white Mazda and neighbors then saw the little boy get out of the car. They called 911 and that's when police rushed to the scene and the boy was reunited with his family.


The suspect is still being sought.

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