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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Authorities say a man, Dustin Oakley, is now in custody after an Amber Alert out of Chapel Hill Monday night.
Prosecutors say Oakley stole a car with a 5-year-old girl inside when the child’s mother was inside a sandwich shop with her other two children.
Police were able to track the car using the mother’s cell phone which was still inside.
Experts say this can happen here in Charlotte, too.
Kids and Car Safety, a national nonprofit, said this is the fifth time someone has stolen a car with a child inside in North Carolina.
[Read also: 18-year-old arrested after stealing vehicle with child inside in Statesville]
Just last week, CMPD told us car thefts are on the rise in 2023.
Between January and March, almost 1,500 cars were stolen: an almost 99% increase from last year.
Instances like this can be scary and traumatic, but experts say they’re avoidable.
“Never going to leave him unattended after a message like that,” said one Charlotte parent, Mike Delong, who has a 5-year-old himself.
Kids and Car Safety said most thieves don’t realize there’s a kid in the car until much later.
This organization said you can keep your kids safe by never leaving a child or pet in the car, using drive-thru’s and curbside pickup as alternatives, and keeping doors locked and keys on you when you pump gas.
Oakley, the man accused of this crime, is charged with kidnapping, larceny, and possession of a stolen car.
He’s in jail under a $510,000 bond.
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