'My baby's in that car': Video captures frantic moments when teen steals SUV with child inside

Regina Padilla says she was dropping off her children to visit their grandmother in Tacony when the chaos unfolded.

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Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Video captures frantic moments when teen steals SUV with baby inside
Regina Padilla says she was dropping off her children to visit their grandmother when the chaos unfolded.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Video captured the frantic moments when a teenager stole a vehicle with a baby girl still inside in Philadelphia.

It happened on Tuesday along the 4100 block of Gilham Street in the city's Tacony section.

Regina Padilla says she was dropping off her children to visit their grandmother when the chaos unfolded.

She says she got her two-year-old to the steps when a teen suspect jumped into her vehicle and took off while her 14-month-old daughter was still inside.

Surveillance video captured Padilla screaming as other neighbors started chasing after the teen.

"I was terrified. I was absolutely terrified. I just kept screaming 'my baby, my baby' in hopes that he would stop, and thank God he did," said Padilla.

"It was a terrible scare, but God is good that there was a happy ending to it," added the baby's father, Matthew Clark.

The suspect didn't get too far before he put the vehicle in park and took off on foot.

"I ripped open the door to get to her and my neighbor continued running after the kid," said Melissa Heiler of Tacony.

"I kept on chasing after the guy," neighbor Melissa Heiler said. "I don't know what I was going to do, but I kept chasing him."

Family members say the baby was not injured.

Police believe the wanted suspect was with another teen before the car was stolen.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.

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