Police recover SUV stolen while a baby was in the back seat

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) - Police in Des Moines, Iowa, have arrested a suspect accused of stealing an SUV with a baby in the back seat.

Corey Van, 32, is now facing theft and child neglect charges.

The frightening situation started in an instant.

“Parents stepped away for a second. Somebody jumped in the car and took it,” Sgt. Paul Parizek, with the Des Moines Police Department, said.

Audio recording from dispatch describes the moments right after.

“Caller stated that they were inside the building here and somebody took off with their black Mercedes with a baby in the back seat,” the dispatcher can be heard saying.

The intense worry of a mother whose child was missing was matched by the intensity of the police looking to find the baby and the vehicle.

“This one went on a little longer than most of us are comfortable with,” Parizek said.

Police said situations like this are not common and usually end fairly quickly.

They used every resource they could to locate the stolen SUV, including technology that certainly helped save the day.

Police officers were able to get eyes on the vehicle by pinging a phone that was inside the stolen car.

“Fortunately, the child is well,” Parizek said. “And that’s the best news we got.”

A group of people, who were on the scene comforting the mom and baby, said they are grateful for the happy ending and thank the Des Moines Police Department.

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