Child, 2, found safe after vehicle stolen in Philadelphia neighborhood: police

Child found safe after she was inside stolen car

A child was found after a vehicle was stolen in Oxford Circle on Wednesday.

PHILADELPHIA - Police descended on Philadelphia's Oxford Circle after a vehicle was stolen with a young child inside Wednesday morning. They first responded to the scene for reports of an attempted abduction.

What we know:

The vehicle was reported stolen near Bustleone Avenue just after 10:30 a.m.

Police say it was recovered by officers within minutes at Castor and Magee avenues, and the two-year-old was still inside.

No injuries were reported.

FOX 29 was live at the scene when the child was reunited with their parents.

What they're saying:

The child's parents told FOX 29 that the mother, an Amazon delivery driver, was delivering a package to a house when her vehicle was stolen with their two-year-old in the backseat.

She banged on the door as the suspects drove off and side-swept another vehicle.

The vehicle eventually stopped running because the child's mother still had her phone and key fob on her.

Philadelphia Police Captain Ryan stated, "The 15 and the 2nd District captains deployed all available resources."

He continued, "I think he realized a two-year-old was in the car and quickly abandoned the car. I can imagine the mom was probably having a near heart attack. The most frightening thing that anyone can imagine happening to somebody. The sheer stress and worry."

And, then he added, "We’ve all done that at one time or another. It’s not wise to do that in the city."

Dig deeper:

Investigators say the suspect took off on foot down the alleyway. Police say the masked man was dressed all in black.

While the child is okay, the car is a bit banged up.

Capt. Ryan said, "He hit a few cars fleeing the scene. So, thankfully, the two-year-old wasn't hurt. By some divine providence, the child is unharmed."