A car thief in Penang made off with a car after a woman briefly stepped out of the vehicle to ask for directions.
Seizing the moment, the thief jumped into the car and drove off with the woman’s 9-year-old daughter still inside.
The stolen car
The suspect was found carrying petrol containers
According to Sin Chew Daily, the incident happened around 6:40 PM on Tuesday (21 October) in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, when the woman and her daughter, who were on their way back to Penang island, got lost and stopped to ask for directions.
The next day (22 October), police later found the stolen car about 20 kilometres away in Simpang Ampat, South Seberang Perai, after it had run out of fuel.
The woman’s husband went to identify the car, brought along a spare key, refuelled it, and then went to the police station.
A man in his 50s was later arrested with two 500ml containers of petrol to assist in the investigation. Before the arrest, he reportedly asked the police where the car was, claiming a female friend had asked him to buy fuel to refill it.
The 9-year-old managed to escape safely
According to the woman’s older daughter, her younger sister (who was in the car) began crying and shouting during the ride, which caused the thief to stop the vehicle and abandon her by the roadside.
She added that her little sister later borrowed a security guard’s phone to call their father for help.
“Maybe he only wanted to steal the car, or maybe he thought of abducting her. She’s safe now, but she may still be traumatised,” the older sister wrote.
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Also read: Authorities Investigating Alleged Child Kidnapping Attempt in Melaka
