Boy, 10, Safe After Thieves Steal Running SUV With Him Inside
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 10-year-old boy has been reunited with his parents, after two teens stole the family SUV while he was in the back seat in the Hermosa neighborhood.
Richard Rodriguez said he had gotten into his parents' Buick Rendezvous near Kildare and Armitage avenues to go to school, and was waiting for his mom and dad when a teenage girl got in and drove away.
"At first I thought it was my mom, but when I heard her laugh, and go really fast, I was thinking maybe that's not my mom, because my mom drives better," he said.
After the girl sideswiped two cars, Richard realized he was riding with a thief. That's when he started to whimper a bit.
"I was crying, and the girl still didn't see me or hear me. So, I was like, 'Maybe she has hearing problems,'" he said.
The girl met up with an accomplice, a teenage boy, and the two thieves soon realized Richard was in the back seat.
"They said a bad word, and then they said 'Oh my God, there's a boy over here, let's get him out before they get us.' So I was like, 'Who will get you?' and they said the police," Richard said. "I don't think they have a driving license, because they drove really fast. I don't think they even know how to drive, because when they were driving really fast, they were hitting a lot of cars and posts."
The two thieves forced Richard out of the Buick about a half mile away from his house.
"They said, 'Okay, have a nice day at school; but go, go," Richard said. "They just left me in the alley."
Richard said he started walking to Palmer and Kostner. About 15 minutes later, a man walking a dog happened upon the crying child and called police and his parents. His parents immediately rushed to be reunited with their missing son.
"They were also crying, because they were scared and really sad that I was missing," he said. "When I was walking, I was crying, 'Mom! Dad!'" Richard said.
Richard wasn't harmed. He said the thieves looked like a 12- to 14-year-old girl and a 17- to 18-year-old boy. In all, Richard was separated from his family for about 30 minutes. His parents decided to let him stay home for the day after his terrifying ordeal.
Police have not yet located the stolen SUV or the thieves.
Area North detectives were investigating.
