10 year old girl makes decision to jump from moving car with 2 year old sister as man steals car

[Liberal_in_LA]

The children’s frantic mother sprints out of the store as the right rear passenger door swings open and her 2-year-old and 10-year-old daughters tumble out of the car. The girls suffered minor cuts, police said.

Video for redlands ahumada youtube▶ 1:20

Moments before the theft, Ahumada was shown in security video making a purchase inside the convenience store, police said. He is wanted on suspicion of auto theft and attempted kidnapping.

Police said the mother parked her Acura at a gas pump and left the engine running with her daughters still inside.

She ran into the 7-Eleven store to pay when Ahumada approached her car, got inside and began to drive away, police said.

That’s when the 10-year-old girl grabbed her younger sister and made a decision to jump out of the moving car.


The Acura with a license plate number of 4UWT026 was last seen entering the 210 Freeway from San Bernardino Avenue.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-video-stolen-car-20150625-story.html

[bravenak]

1. Smart decision for that girl!!

Good job big sister!!

[cui bono]

12. Yeah, quick thinking!

[madaboutharry]

2. The mom didn't make a good decision when she left

the car running with her children inside, obviously with the doors unlocked. Glad they're going to be ok.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. just ran into to pay for gas. Many people don't think they have to lock in a 10 year old

in that type of situation.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. OK, so she gassed up, then started up the engine,

then ran in to pay for the gas? That sounds a little odd.

[TBF]

19. Maybe to turn the AC on?

I dunno ... just trying to give her benefit of the doubt. At this point looks like the 10-yr old is a little smarter than the mom.

[Ed Suspicious]

5. Right, but look, we shouldn't have to live like our lives or property are in jeopardy constantly.

Let's not victim blame. We all have houses made of glass that could use a little cleanup.

[madaboutharry]

6. Not victim blaming.

It wasn't a good decision and it could have ended badly. The event speaks for itself.

People who have their engine running cars stolen while running in to pay for gas happens more often than you think. I know two people who had a car stolen in similar situations. One at a gas station. The other ran into a 7-11 to buy a slurpy. They never saw their cars again.

[MoonRiver]

8. Demonstrates something I firmly believe,

humans are near as smart as we think we are.

[NotoriousRBG]

18. The problem is not with leaving ones car running but rather with being too lenient with thieves.

[JI7]

7. her decision was fine. one of the kids was 10

I'm sure she won't do it again and will be far more careful than anyone should have to be in the future.

[cui bono]

11. Clearly it was not fine or her car wouldn't have been stolen and her children almost kidnapped.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Maybe she taught the kid how to do a judo roll out of a moving car.

So....

Fine!

[hunter]

21. Clearly she should have left a gun with the kids...

... then big sister could have shot the car thief.



Every parent does absent-minded stuff sometimes.

My guess is mom went to collect her change (I haven't seen a pay-when-you're-done gas station for many, many years...) and thought it would be nice for the kids if the air conditioner was on.

[Snobblevitch]

23. I would say there are more gas pumps in Minnesota

where there is the option to pay inside after fueling your auto than there are pre-pay pumps. Even in the Twin Cities, usually only the outside lane of pumps are pre-pay. That's because it is easier to quickly drive off without paying from those pumps. I remember about 20 years ago I knew a guy who had recently moved to the Twin Cities from New York. Hexwas stunned that not only could you pay for gas after you pumped it, you could write a check. This was before a check could be instantly verified.

[riversedge]

3. umm. leaving the engine running with kids in the car! not good.

[SoCalDem]

9. and EVERY you-pump it gas station has signs that say "TURN ENGINE OFF"

I am happy that no one was seriously hurt..She's lucky she still has her kids..

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

13. Was the younger one in a car seat? There's no getting out of those quickly.

[riversedge]

22. actually, I wondered about that also. some are

the dickens to get the kids out.

[whatchamacallit]

15. I love it when I click posts like this and it's a happy ending n/t

[Warpy]

16. It'll be a happy ending when they catch the bastard

Anybody who steals a car with kids in it needs to be off the street for a very long time.

[whatchamacallit]

17. Yeah true

at least the kids got away.

[AngryAmish]

20. Clever girl.

Buy her more ice cream.