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Vero Beach police continue to seek man who stole car with infant inside

The car was found abandoned with the child still inside, unharmed
Vero Beach police need help in identifying person in kidnapping/carjacking. Sept. 15, 2023.jpg
Posted at 5:07 PM, Sep 18, 2023
and last updated 2023-09-18 17:07:45-04

VERO BEACH, Fla. — Police in Vero Beach continue to look for the man who stole a car with an infant inside, sparking a massive manhunt.

In surveillance images of the man, police are seeking a thin, Black male last seen wearing blue jeans, black shoes, a black t-shirt and a tan and black hat.

Around 4:30 Friday afternoon, police said a father had gone into Nitou’s Beauty Supply store on 1200 block of 16th Street, and left his car running with his 10-month-old son in the back seat.

The store owner told WPTV when the man went back outside to get more money, he didn’t see his car.

 “He was walking out to grab $8 from his car," Enith Francois said. "As soon as he opened his door, he said, ‘My car is gone.’ I said your car is gone what do you mean? He said, ‘Yes I park in the last spot and my car is gone.’”

With help from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and Sebastian police, the car was found abandoned 40 minutes later about 2 miles from the beauty supply store.

The child was unharmed, and was still buckled in his car seat.

Police said the man who took the car jumped a fence and ran through the Shadowbrook Apartment Complex before heading west on 14th Street.

Anyone with information regarding the incident of this man's identity, should contact Detective Sean Crowley at the Vero Beach Police Department at 772-978-4664 or email scrowley@vbpd.org.