A thief was caught on video stealing a car outside of a grocery store in the neighborhood of East Harlem in New York City on Sunday.
Video footage released by police on Tuesday shows the thief getting inside an orange 2017 Nissan Rogue that was left running outside of a grocery store around 8 p.m., the New York Post reported. Upon entering the vehicle, the suspect told an 11-year-old boy that he was “a friend” of his father’s, the boy claimed to the police.
“Don’t worry,” the suspect informed the boy before taking the vehicle for a joyride.
During the joyride, the suspect sideswiped two parked vehicles, and about 20 minutes later, the boy was dumped out of the vehicle about 5 miles away. Upon being let out of the vehicle unharmed, the boy called his father, who in turn notified the police, according to the police.
After being returned to his father, the boy was taken to Harlem Hospital and was treated for minor neck pain, according to police.
Hours after the thief was spotted stealing a phone charger at a BP gas station in Queens around 9:30 p.m., the orange SUV was located around 1 a.m. near the 108th Precinct, according to the police.
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The suspect, who is described as 5 feet and 7 inches tall, roughly 150 pounds, and having a beard and short, dark hair, is still on the run as of Tuesday, according to the police.
While Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said he wants to crack down on crime in the city, District Attorney Alvin Bragg has instructed prosecutors not to seek to impose prison sentences against criminals unless they commit homicides, violent sexual offenses, or domestic violence felonies.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the New York City Police Department for a statement but did not receive a response back.
