LOS ANGELES — A police chase through downtown Los Angeles ended with a toddler being reunited with his family Monday night.
The 2-year-old boy was asleep in his car seat when his mother ran inside a 7-Eleven store, KNBC reported.
“I ran inside, it was not even one minute,” Janel Monae Jones told KNBC. “I looked outside and my car was gone. I was panicking. I was praying. I was worried.”
Jones chased after the car herself, pleading for help from other drivers nearby, until she saw the police, KABC reported. Police told the station that they were able to use the Find My iPhone app on Jones’ phone to track the stolen car.
Los Angeles police officers spotted the stolen car in downtown L.A. and began chasing the vehicle, which officers said was speeding through busy intersections and driving into oncoming traffic, KTLA reported. Officers deployed spike strips in an attempt to stop the vehicle, which led police on a slow-speed chase despite its damaged tires, KTLA reported.
Officers told KABC that the suspect is not related to the child, who slept through the entire chase. The child was not believed to be hurt but was seen by paramedics at the scene as a precaution.
“I’m just glad my baby’s OK,” Jones told KNBC. “It’s just a lesson learned. In the blink of an eye, anything can happen.”
The suspect was not identified, but was seen being taken into custody by police, KTLA reported.
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