Advertisement

Charges laid after five-year-old caught up in car theft

Police said the boy, 5, and the car were found in Norlane, in Geelong.

Police said the boy, 5, and the car were found in Norlane, in Geelong. Photo: Getty

Despite enduring a kidnapping, a car chase and giving a police statement, this five-year-old Melbourne girl just wanted to go to school.

The little girl underwent a terrifying ordeal on Thursday when an 18-year-old man allegedly got into her father’s BMW and drove off from the family home in Wyndham Vale – with her inside.

Police found the girl uninjured in the abandoned car following a police chase and took her back to Werribee police station, where she gave a statement before asking police if she could go to school, the Nine Network reported.

The alleged incident took place after the girl’s father, Manik Sharma, reportedly left the car to dash into his home to pick up something.

Superintendent Craig Gillard said police pursued the BMW in a “low-speed chase” after the car was spotted in Norlane, near Geelong.

After crossing onto the wrong side of the road and stopping on a median strip, a man fled from the car.

Police found the little girl safe inside and reunited her with her distraught parents.

“It was terrible, I’m still in shock but I’m relieved I have my daughter back,” Mr Sharma told reporters.

An 18-year-old man was arrested after police received reports of a man loitering in Norlane.

He was later charged with kidnapping, car theft, reckless conduct and numerous other offences to face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on August 26.

A second man, believed to be an accomplice, is still on the run after leaving Wyndam Vale in a Toyota Supra.

-AAP

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.