Jacksonville police said Sherry Holland left her son in the back seat of her car while she went inside to pay for gas on Sunday at a Shell gas station in the 7800 block of 103rd Street. Before she even got to the front door of the gas station, she turned around and saw her car and her child were gone, police said.
"And next thing you know, I hear this lady screaming, talking about, 'My baby's in the car. My baby's in the car,'" witness Missy Harper said.
Harper said she could hardly believe what she was seeing at the gas station. Police said two teenagers stole the car with the boy inside.
Harper said the boy's mother quickly flagged down another driver and went on a pursuit of her own car.
"She jumped into another vehicle and went down Hillman (Drive)," Harper said. "She was more concerned about her child than anything else."
Police have identified the two teenagers in the theft as 16-year-olds Shawn Fisher and Christopher Armstrong. The two told police they didn't know a child was inside the car when they hopped behind the wheel and drove away.
Police said the teens stole the car because they were late for a Super Bowl party.
The teens eventually abandoned the car but were later arrested by officers, police said.
Police said the Super Bowl party, the gas station and the location where the car was found were all within 1.7 miles of each other.
"Luckily, she got her child back, but there are people out there that won't give your child back, and then people have to live with that on their conscience for the rest of their lives," Harper said.
Re: Another discussion: Leaving your child in the car
When I was a kid, my parents would've done it.
Nowadays? I don't think so.
Sorry, but this made me LOL!
I think mom was stupid for leaving a 4 year old (or any child) unattended in a car. Could she not have taking the child into the gas station with her? I would never leave my child or my dogs in a car unattended.
I will admit that I almost killed my husband for doing this very thing. We were both driving separately somewhere (I don't remember), but caravan-ing, and he had to stop for gas. I was feeding the baby, so he took the toddler (their carseats were in different cars) and went to get gas across the street while we finished up and caught up. I pulled up right as he was getting out and about to walk in alone.
I went apeshit on him.
We had lived here in town for a total of like 6 months maybe, and one of his Navy cw's had warned him that FL was highest in kidnappings, yet he still just about did it. Worst part was that he was going to leave the car running so he didn't get hot. "I'm right here and can see him" was his defense. Yeah, we had a long chat after that.
I will also admit that there are times I leave our toddler in the car when we get home if he's asleep and I have to get them both inside alone. But I will literally take the baby out, lock the car up, put the baby in his bouncer inside the door (a 20 foot walk from the parking spot), lock the door behind me, and then go get the toddler. I'm a freak about locking them in. I know it's not impossible to kidnap them at that point, but it makes it takes a he!! of a lot longer to get to them, especially if I'm right there. It still makes me nervous. People are stupid, and my kids are too young to know to scream.
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Dogs aren't kids, but I've never left my dogs in the car.
At least lock it! And I guess she left the keys in the car too? Crazy!
Yeah. Honestly, I know people who would lock a car and run in really fast to say $40 on pump 8. I don;t think that's a huge deal. But at least take the keys with you and lock the car. Like DP said, it used to happen all of the time.
And I'll admit that dogwise, I've left Brodie in the car before for a total of about 5 min while I run into the grocery store, but I always lock him in.
my parents used to do that all the time. I've even known my dad to leave the car still running, unlocked, while he went in the gas station to pay. that's crazy! I probably would be ok with leaving an older child in the car for <5 minutes with the doors locked, but not a younger one.
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Well I sure won't do it NOW. lol. I kid.
Most of you already know I'm slightly psycho.. but I lock my car when I'm paying at the pump. I think if the card reader broke or something and I had to go in, I probably wouldn't freak about the kid being alone in the car, but I'd definitely lock it.
I'm the same and I do the same.
I don't understand why everyone doesn't do this. I am so gung-ho about it, that I even locked my keys in the car at the pump once. At least it wasn't running. I often wonder how much I cost the gas station that morning since no one could get gas at that pump until I was able to move my car.
How is it that my BABY is going to be 3?
BFP-2/25/11; 8 Wk U/S-3/25/11-No HB, measured 6.5 wks; D&C