A father allegedly left his son, 3, in a running car before a thief stole the vehicle. The crook unloaded the toddler at a fire station.
An opportunistic thief became a child abductor on Thursday afternoon when he swiped a car that had been left running outside a Roosevelt Mall store with the toddler in the back seat, police claim.
Authorities recovered the 3-year-old boy after the suspect left him outside a nearby fire station. Police found the stolen car and the suspected crook in Tacony hours later. The alleged abductor was identified as Beau Booth, 35. Police did not disclose his place of residence. He was charged with kidnapping and related offenses.
The incident began at about 4:24 p.m. near KicksUSA, a sneaker store at 2339 Cottman Ave. According to police, the boy’s father parked his green 2013 Honda Accord outside the store with the keys in the ignition, the engine running and the child sitting in a safety seat in the passenger compartment.
With the father inside the store, Booth allegedly hopped into the driver’s seat and stole the car, police said. Minutes later, police were notified that the alleged thief left the child and his safety seat outside Engine 18 at 8205 Roosevelt Blvd., about two miles from the store. The thief then fled the area.
Authorities reunited the father with the child, who was not injured, police said.
6ABC reported that police arrested the suspect and recovered the stolen car at about 7:15 p.m. on the 6800 block of Torresdale Ave. in Tacony after witnesses reported seeing the suspect driving the stolen car erratically in that area.
On Tuesday, police said that no additional charges have been filed in the case. ••
