A vehicle was stolen in East Orange, New Jersey, with a child alone inside on Tuesday evening.

According to news reports, a victim reported to police that their Porsche with their 15-month-old child inside alone and unattended had been stolen. Police rushed to find the car and then spotted it with the suspect still inside. The suspect took police on a short multi-city vehicle chase before they were able to arrest and apprehend him. Luckily, the child was unharmed.

Already this year, Kids and Car Safety has documented 54 children left unattended in a vehicle that was subsequently stolen. Unfortunately, we see an increasing number of cases like these every year, even though they are entirely preventable.

Although the victims of these types of incidents typically survive, it is incredibly traumatizing for everyone involved and a significant misuse of law enforcement resources. Incidents like this are very easily avoidable by never leaving a child alone in a vehicle.

Thieves watch for vehicles to be left running or unattended with the keys inside. Most of the time, they don’t realize there is a child inside until after they have stolen the vehicle.

Car thefts can occur even in the safest neighborhoods. It only takes a few seconds for a thief to jump into a vehicle and disappear.

Tips for parents:

1. Never leave a child of any age or pet alone in a vehicle, not even for a minute.
2. Use a drive-thru or curbside pickup so you don’t have to leave your vehicle.
3. If a business doesn’t offer curbside delivery, call upon arrival and ask them to bring your order to your car. Most people are more than happy to accommodate you when you tell them you have small children. It takes a village!
4. Keep car doors locked and keys on your person when pumping gas with children inside the vehicle.