21-05-2025
Man charged after stealing vehicle with child inside: London police
A Maidstone, Ont. man remains in custody after police say he stole a vehicle with a child in the backseat in the south end of city last week.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Friday, a woman called 911 to report as she was placing her child into the back seat of her car in the area of Colonel Talbot Road and Burtwistle Lane, an unknown male entered the driver's seat and stole the vehicle.
The suspect stopped the vehicle a short distance away after seeing the child was still inside.
Police say the victim was able to get her child out of the car before the man fled the area in the stolen vehicle at a high rate of speed.
Officers responding learned as the vehicle fled the area, the suspect male driver almost caused several collisions.
Police located the vehicle in the 6000 block of Colonel Talbot Road after receiving a report of a single vehicle collision into a ditch.
Officers arrived and located the suspect exiting the vehicle. Police attempted to arrest the man when he fled from officers on foot.
The suspect was arrested a short distance away.
Police say a search of the man yielded a quantity of drugs.
No injuries were reported.
As a result of the investigation, a 35-year-old Maidstone man has been charged with the following offences:
Theft of a motor vehicle;
Kidnapping;
Two (2) counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle;
Resist arrest;
Impaired exceed blood drug concentration; and,
Possession of a Schedule I substance.
The accused remains in custody and scheduled to reappear in London court today in relation to the charges.
Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call the London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent in online anonymously to London Middlesex Crime Stoppers.
