A Townsville mum has recounted the “most terrifying experience” of her life when  thieves stole her vehicle with her two-month-old baby sleeping inside.

Sarah (surname withheld) was cleaning out her Isuzu D-max in her driveway in Garbutt on Monday afternoon, with the child in a car seat.

Thieves took the opportunity to jump into the vehicle and drive away, with footage showing Sarah running after it.

The distraught mum cried “Help, help, my baby is inside” as the SUV was driven off around 1.44pm.

Two minutes later, the thieves returned and placed the baby still in its car seat on the curb, also handing Sarah back her phone.

She asked them why they had committed such a crime and they reportedly replied: “We’re just bad guys”.

Police said no one was physically injured during the incident, and the baby was assessed by paramedics as a precaution.

Police arrived a short time later and conducted patrols. The vehicle was found abandoned later.

Sarah told 7NEWS it felt like a lifetime as she watched her baby disappear.

“My soul left my body. It was the most terrifying thing that has probably ever happened in my life, that I’ll probably ever experience,” she told 7NEWS.

Townsville police said eight teenagers and two adults had been charged in relation to the incident and the alleged theft of other vehicles.

Police recovered seven stolen vehicles, including a black Isuzu MU-X.

The Isuzu was located at a car park on Charters Towers Road around 9.45pm on Monday, alongside a white Ford Ranger that was stolen from a Railway Estate address on 14 June.

“Upon police arrival the Ford was engulfed in flames however was extinguished a short time later.”

Separately, police said a number of stolen vehicles were observed driving around Townsville on Monday night.

Police coordinated a tyre deflation device strategy which disabled five stolen motor vehicles and resulted in the arrest of ten offenders.

Ten offenders were charged on 19 offences unrelated to the Garbutt incident.