1-year-old safe at home after thieves steal car with the baby inside

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GREENSBORO, North Carolina (WLOS) — A mother is holding onto her baby even tighter today after he was stolen at a gas station in Greensboro.

According to Greensboro police, the incident happened early Saturday morning at the Valero gas station on 2715 South Elm-Eugene Street in Greensboro.

Police say the father, Jamal Petty, was driving a dark gray 2018 Kia Sorento around 12:15 a.m. at the gas station when the car was stolen with 14-month-old Josea Petty in the back seat.

Josea was later discovered by a couple on the 400 block of Memphis Street and Kersey Street wrapped in a jacket and sitting in his car seat in the homeowner’s garden.

After the couple discovered the baby around 6 a.m., they wrapped him in a blanket and called the police.

Josea was taken to the hospital to be evaluated, police say.

“Horror story it was really really scary,“ said Kayla Jazmin.

Jazmin’s mother says they never thought this would happen to them.

“You see other families go through like this, but you would never think this would hits so close to home,” said Ingrid Alexander, Josea’s grandmother.

Now her and her family are counting their blessings.

“Very blessed that he’s here now right now and that he’s healthy and he’s unharmed he’s happy,” said Jazmin.

They are hoping this terrible incident with a happy ending will remind parents to be careful and not leave children in a car. Alexander mentioned she wishes there were more laws against doing that here in North Carolina.

The big message though is warning other parents to not let their kids out of their sight even for a couple minutes.

“To all the parents out there, hug on your baby and love on your babies because you never know what’s going to happen,” said Jazmin.

Jazmin said she is so thankful for all of the communities help and prayers to get her baby home.

Greensboro police said the stolen car at the center of an Amber Alert case was found in Winston-Salem Sunday, but the two men who took the car with a baby in the backseat are still on the run. If you do know anything you’re asked to call the Greensboro Police.