Screaming kids told to get out as accused thief steals car on Christmas, CA cops say

A 28-year-old man stole a car with two screaming girls in the back outside a Mountain View store on Christmas, California police reported.

A 25-year-old woman left the two girls, ages 13 and 7, in the back seat while she picked up food, police said in a news release.

She called 911 at 7:30 p.m. to report a man had stolen her car with two family members inside, police said. He had been in the grocery store with her before taking her car.

When the girls began screaming in the back seat, the accused thief stopped and ordered them out of the car, the release said.

Police found the stolen car in nearby Palo Alto and arrested the man on charges including carjacking, kidnapping and child endangerment, police said.

No one was injured in the incident, the release said.

Mountain View is a city of 81,000 about 40 miles southeast of San Francisco.

This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Screaming kids told to get out as accused thief steals car on Christmas, CA cops say."