SAN MATEO, Calif. (KRON) – A man has been arrested after stealing a car with a grandmother and one-year-old inside, according to the San Mateo Police Department.
Around 10:43 a.m. on Thursday, police responded to Palm and 9th Avenues following reports of a kidnapping.
Police say a woman had parked her car on the 200 block of 4th Ave.
Investigators learned that the woman had parked her car and left the keys in the ignition. Her mother and one-year-old daughter were also in the car while she and her husband went into a store.
Police say the grandmother called the woman saying that someone stole the car.
The car was found on the 800 block of B Street with both the mother and child safe inside.
The grandmother identified the man walking away as the suspect and police arrested him.
47-year-old Kiarash Rezaee was booked into the San Mateo County Jail.
Police released helpful tips to protect your car from being stolen:
- Audible and Visible Devices: These devices, such as a horn alarm, deter theft by bringing attention to an unauthorized attempt to steal or enter a vehicle. Visible devices create a visual threat/warning/deterrence, such as the use of steering-wheel locks, as well as theft-deterrent decals, flashing lights, and window etching.
- Immobilizing-Type Devices: These prevent thieves from bypassing a vehicle’s ignition system and hot-wiring the vehicle. Some incorporate computer chips in ignition keys or disable the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine.
- Vehicle Recovery Systems: These devices use electronic transmission technology that help law enforcement reveal the location of stolen vehicles—and possibly catch the thief in the act.
- Take your vehicle’s key; do not leave it in or on your vehicle.
- Close and lock all windows and doors when you park.
- Park in well-lit areas if possible and within view of a security camera.
- Never leave valuables in your vehicle, especially if they can be seen from outside the vehicle.