A 24-year-old man faces up to three years in prison after stealing a running vehicle with a young child inside, sparking a high-speed chase through the northern region of the Czech Republic earlier this week.
The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon on Jeronýmova Street in Liberec. According to police reports, the suspect spotted a Škoda Rapid left idling and unattended. Despite seeing a young boy sitting in a car seat behind the passenger side, the man climbed behind the wheel and ordered the child to stay put.
Regional police spokesperson Dagmar Sochorová praised the child’s quick thinking during what she described as a terrifying ordeal. Before the thief could pull away, the boy managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and bolt from the vehicle, reuniting with his father who was nearby.
The suspect fled the scene alone, but his freedom was short-lived.
Authorities received the emergency call at 3:28 p.m., immediately dispatching patrols to scour the city’s exits. Minutes later, officers spotted the stolen Škoda heading toward Děčín on the I/35 highway. When police signaled for him to pull over, the driver accelerated, reaching speeds of 180 km/h as he attempted to outrun patrol units.
The pursuit ended roughly twenty minutes later near the Václavice turn-off. In his haste to surrender, the suspect failed to secure the vehicle; as he was being detained, the Škoda rolled forward and struck a parked police cruiser.
Testing conducted at the scene confirmed that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
On Tuesday, investigators officially charged the man—who has no prior criminal record—with theft and attempted restriction of personal liberty. Due to the involvement of a minor, police stated they will not be releasing further details regarding the child’s identity.
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