Car stolen with child inside in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, witnesses say
Police are investigating after a car was nearly stolen with a child inside in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood on Saturday, according to witnesses.
Officers were called to the incident around 4 p.m. A witness tells KIRO 7 that the car was parked at a baseball field near Third Avenue Northwest and Northwest 44th Street when they saw a man get into the car and try to drive off.
That witness says several people at the baseball field ran toward the car to try and stop the suspect.
Another witness tells KIRO 7 that he saw the child’s father jump into the car and stop the suspect. According to that witness, the suspect then ran away.
The child was recovered safely.
Witnesses say that several people then chased the man to a nearby Trader Joe’s on 14th Avenue Northwest where he was eventually taken into custody.
KIRO 7 spoke to one of the parents who chased the man. They say several people went after the vehicle.
“At which point I decided I’d be able to help out in some way. So, I ran across the field,” a man named Evan said.
He tells us the father was able to get inside the vehicle, but was then thrown out of the back seat with the child.
“And some poor parent was in the driver side was thrown pretty much thrown the entire intersection,” he said.
He says the man got out of the car after it was stopped at an intersection and ran. He says the crowd kept chasing him for several blocks.
“And we chased him a few blocks that way. And he went all the way down to Leery where he hid behind a building and he jumped out and sprayed pepper spray at me,” he said.
He says the crowd and police eventually tracked the man down.
“Nobody was going to let him get away. No one was going to let him out of sight. Not after trying to take a kid in a car at a baseball game. I mean … come on,” he said.
One eyewitness named Corey Campbell says he’s never seen something like this before.
“Yeah … pretty crazy. I’ve seen this stuff on TV and other states, but not here in Seattle or Washington,” Campbell said.
He believes a situation like this is a reminder to always pay attention to your surroundings.
“I’d say definitely after this, it kind of awakens you to what can happen so quickly. And always keep your head on a swivel. You know, look out for each other,” Campbell said.
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