Klemzig abduction: Man arrested over alleged theft of Honda Jazz with baby still inside in Adelaide

Terrifying CCTV has emerged showing a helpless mum chasing after a man who allegedly sped off in her car with her four-month-old baby still inside, sparking a frantic two hour search across Adelaide.

The young woman left the motor running and her son in the back seat as she quickly ducked into a deli to buy a loaf of bread in Klemzig on Monday morning.

Seconds later, a man pulls up alongside the Honda Jazz in a black Mazda BT-50 police allege stolen from Black Forest earlier in the morning.

CCTV shows the man looking through the rear window of the Honda Jazz and realises the motor is still running with no one behind the wheel.

He returns to the Mazda to retrieve a backpack before jumping into Honda Jazz and reverses out.   

The frantic woman races into the carpark and jumps in front of the car, screaming at the alleged thief to stop as he speeds away.

CCTV shows the alleged thief getting into the  vehicle before reversing out

The distraught mum raced back into the shop to raise the alarm and was later seen being consoled by police as an urgent manhunt was launched.

Her car was later found abandoned four kilometres away in neraby Enfield with the baby ‘safe and well’ in the backseat. 

The baby was reunited with his relieved parents before being taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital as a precaution.

Hours later, a Para Hills man, 37, was arrested in the Adelaide CBD around 6pm and is currently being questioned by detectives.

Police said in a statement the man will be charged later on Monday night.

A second man was also arrested on an outstanding warrant.

The frantic mum tries to jump in front of her car as the driver speeds away with her baby boy still in the back seat

Police believe the alleged incident was an opportunistic theft. 

‘Mum described that the baby was seated in a capsule in the rear seat… at the time with mum trying to intervene and stop him from leaving,’ Superintendent Matt Nairn said.

He said the mother was ‘extremely relieved and very, very happy to be reunited with (her) baby’.

‘It’s probably the greatest amount of distress to any parent to see this happen. It is a reminder to any parent – be careful,’ Supt Nairn said.

‘I don’t believe the mother has done anything wrong … we’re not apportioning any blame to the mum at all.’

A man was arrested on Monday night and is currently being questioned by police

Senior Constable Gen Cullinan said the car appeared to be stolen at ‘random’ as CCTV images of the driver were released. 

‘It would appear they’ve dumped one car and then literally tried to take another car so there’s no indication these people are known to each other,’ he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

Deli worker Allan Porter said the mother jumped in front of the car to try and stop the driver from taking off in her vehicle.

‘The customer went running out to try and stop him, she sort half went in front of the car, but she stepped back a little bit because I think she thought she would get run over,’ he told The Advertiser.

‘She was only in here for a minute or two, it all happened so quick. I ran to the window, but by the time I saw him he was in the car and had a surgical mask on so I could only see his eyes.’ 

Another told Seven News:  ‘I was serving a customer at the time, and she happened to look out the window and noticed that someone was jumping in her car, and she dropped everything and ran out to try to stop him, but he just drove away

‘He was wearing a mask so I couldn’t identify (him).

‘She was hysterical, and wanted a phone to call the police.

The white Honda Jazz hatchback allegedly stolen on Fourth Avenue in Klemzig on Monday