Teen charged after vehicle stolen with toddler inside in Kent County

Byron Tollefson
·2 min read
2

KENTWOOD — A teenager has been charged for allegedly stealing a family’s car with their 2-year-old inside before leaving the child alone on the side of the road.

The 16-year-old — who hasn't been named because he's a juvenile — was charged with child abandonment, unlawfully driving a vehicle away, lying and obstructing police and malicious destruction of property under $1,000 for his alleged involvement in the vehicle theft, police say.

The Kentwood Police Department said the case is being handled in juvenile court.

The morning of Oct. 4 was a nightmare for the child’s parents. Around 8:10 a.m. — while they waited at the bus stop on 48th Street and Marlette Avenue in Kentwood — their car was stolen with their toddler inside.

His parents desperately called for help, getting the attention of Kelloggsville bus driver Dave Skinner.

He then radioed to let other bus drivers know a vehicle had been stolen with a child inside. Another bus driver, Sue Figueroa, heard the message and realized she had just driven past a toddler wrapped up in a blanket in a driveway. She turned around, picked up the child and delivered him to his parents.

Kentwood Police Capt. Ryan VanderVeen told WOOD TV-8 that he spoke with the bus drivers’ supervisor on Thursday, who was thankful the suspect had been charged. VanderVeen also thanked the bus drivers for rescuing the child.

“They just did a great job,” VanderVeen said. “They could’ve just driven by, but they were paying attention. They inquired with each other to see what was going on and, without them, who knows what would’ve happened. So thank you.”

Subscribe:Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage

The stolen Pontiac Torrent was found later that day in Grand Rapids.

VanderVeen said he has seen vehicles stolen with children inside multiple times in his career.

“As far as I can remember, it’s turned out well for the kids that are involved," he said. “But in an instant, this can turn bad. Car thefts can be very dangerous as we’ve seen. We’re just really thankful this child was located safely and returned to his parents.”

— WOOD TV-8's Anna Skog contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Teen charged after vehicle stolen with toddler inside in Kent County