Fake officer steals car with baby - 28th Feb 2009 12:40am
Fake officer steals car with baby
A mother whose baby was abducted when a thief posing as a police officer stole her car in Greater Manchester thought she would "never see him again".
Four-month-old Jack was later dumped on a pavement after the silver Lexus, owned by his mother Emma Williams, was snatched on Hypatia Street, Bolton.
She said: "I was frantic because the speed he drove off at with Jack in the back, I didn't know what would happen."
The baby was dumped 30 minutes later. A 39-year-old man has been arrested.
Jack's parents endured a "horrendous" wait before the baby was brought back in a different car, a Nissan Micra, which was later found crashed.
Greater Manchester Police said the parents' ordeal began at 1715 GMT on Thursday when the mother was approached by a man while sitting in her Lexus.
Believing he was a police officer, she began to get out of the vehicle before being pulled out of the way.
She managed to get her other son, two-year-old Lewis, out of the car but could not reach baby Jack.
"He sped off with Jack in the back. I was screaming 'He's got my kids'."
Police know the Lexus was involved in a hit-and-run collision on Bury Road, outside the Black Horse Pub, about 15 minutes later.
No-one was injured and the offender drove off, but the car is yet to be recovered.
At 1745 GMT, the distraught parents were still standing at the scene of the theft when a man in a Micra pulled up and put their baby on the pavement.
A short time later a patrol officer spotted the Micra turning into Thicketford Road, towards Winchester Way.
By the time the officer turned his car around to follow, he found it had crashed into a Citroen Xsara and a Volkswagen Passat.
The driver and two other people were injured in the collision.
Det Con Graham Clare said: "This was a horrendous ordeal for the family who were left absolutely distraught that their baby was taken from them.
"Fortunately he was returned safe and well but the time he was missing must have felt like an eternity for his parents."
The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and kidnapping and is currently at hospital being treated for injuries to his leg and neck.
THE BBC
A mother whose baby was abducted when a thief posing as a police officer stole her car in Greater Manchester thought she would "never see him again".
Four-month-old Jack was later dumped on a pavement after the silver Lexus, owned by his mother Emma Williams, was snatched on Hypatia Street, Bolton.
She said: "I was frantic because the speed he drove off at with Jack in the back, I didn't know what would happen."
The baby was dumped 30 minutes later. A 39-year-old man has been arrested.
Jack's parents endured a "horrendous" wait before the baby was brought back in a different car, a Nissan Micra, which was later found crashed.
Greater Manchester Police said the parents' ordeal began at 1715 GMT on Thursday when the mother was approached by a man while sitting in her Lexus.
Believing he was a police officer, she began to get out of the vehicle before being pulled out of the way.
She managed to get her other son, two-year-old Lewis, out of the car but could not reach baby Jack.
"He sped off with Jack in the back. I was screaming 'He's got my kids'."
Police know the Lexus was involved in a hit-and-run collision on Bury Road, outside the Black Horse Pub, about 15 minutes later.
No-one was injured and the offender drove off, but the car is yet to be recovered.
At 1745 GMT, the distraught parents were still standing at the scene of the theft when a man in a Micra pulled up and put their baby on the pavement.
A short time later a patrol officer spotted the Micra turning into Thicketford Road, towards Winchester Way.
By the time the officer turned his car around to follow, he found it had crashed into a Citroen Xsara and a Volkswagen Passat.
The driver and two other people were injured in the collision.
Det Con Graham Clare said: "This was a horrendous ordeal for the family who were left absolutely distraught that their baby was taken from them.
"Fortunately he was returned safe and well but the time he was missing must have felt like an eternity for his parents."
The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and kidnapping and is currently at hospital being treated for injuries to his leg and neck.
THE BBC
