Child safe after weekend carjacking

A child was recovered safely after a carjacking that occurred in north Merced over the weekend, police reported.

The child was in the back seat of a vehicle at about 6:25 a.m. Sunday when an unidentified man climbed into the unlocked vehicle and drove away, according to a statement released by the UC Merced Police Department.

The parent of the child was injured while attempting to stop the carjacker in the 1000 block of West Yosemite Avenue, police said.

The vehicle and the child were located a short distance away and the carjacker fled the scene, according to the statement.

Police were searching for a man between 35 and 40 years in age, described as either a white male or fair-skinned Hispanic. The man had shoulder-length straight, black hair and beard and was wearing a black baseball hat and light-colored shorts, according to the statement.

Anyone was information about the incident is asked to call the Merced Police Department at 209-385-6905 or UC Merced police at 209-228-2677.

This story was originally published September 5, 2016 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Child safe after weekend carjacking."