JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Within minutes of a reported car theft with a child inside Tuesday afternoon, a 10-year-old boy believed to have been taken from a Southside gas station was found a few blocks away. Police have since located the stolen car, but they said the suspect remains on the loose.
News4Jax spoke to the mother of 10-year-old David, who is just relieved and thankful her son is safe.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, a grandmother was getting gas at the Murphy USA in front of the Walmart sometime after 3 p.m. and left the boy she had just picked up from school in the front passenger seat. A man approached the passenger side, then ran around to the driver's side, got in and took off.
Both the grandmother and an employee at the gas station called 911.
"We had very fast response: K-9, the air unit, as well multiple ground units," Officer Melissa Bujeda said.
Within 10 minutes, Officer Charles Mays spotted a boy crying on the side of Beach Bouevard at Cortez Road, a few blocks east of the car theft scene. While the boy didn't try to flag down police, the officer realized it was the child from the car theft. The victim was traumatized but unhurt and reunited with family back at the gas station.
David's mother, Shauna, told News4Jax, she was thankful to Mays for rescuing her son.
"Thank you. Thank you to that officer over there. We appreciate it," said Shanna.
A few minutes after that, the stolen car was located at an extended-stay hotel near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff Road. News4Jax witnessed police taking a man into custody at the Winn-Dixie on the other corner of that intersection, but police said that the suspect was still at large.
Police said a customer at a neighboring pump witnessed the car theft and it was recorded by the gas station's surveillance video.
According to the JSO, the officer that spotted 10-year-old David was sitting in his vehicle getting ready to eat for the first time since he came to work at 5:30 a.m. when he heard the call go out. Police said Officer Charles Mays thought to himself, "If it was my kid, I would want everyone looking."
Mays paused, prayed to God for the safety of the child, then started down Beach Boulevard. He saw a boy of that age walking and looking distraught about 3.5 miles east of the car theft scene. He stopped and talked to the boy and determined he was a victim of the car theft and drove him back to his grandmother.
Officer Charles Mays was praised by the sheriff's office for his quick thinking. JSO said this needs to be a warning for everyone and that gas stations aren't always safe.
"This is a crime of opportunity, unfortunately. In these types of circumstances you have to look out for your property. It's a warning to all of us. When you're at a gas pump, lock the door," said OfficerBujeda