Essex County Cop Rescues Baby Left In Stolen, Abandoned Car

ORANGE, NJ — A baby rescued from a stolen, abandoned car in Essex County is in good health and with his father thanks to the quick actions of a local police officer, authorities say.

The officer – a cop with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office – learned about the situation after the Orange Police Department issued an alert about the vehicle theft on Monday.

Here’s what happened next, authorities said:

“After being advised by the Orange Police Department that a vehicle with New Jersey plates containing a baby had been stolen from the area of Joyce Street and Scotland Road in Orange, a sheriff’s officer immediately responded and began canvassing for the vehicle. He located the vehicle in the middle of the street on Conover Terrace. He then checked the vehicle for occupants and saw the child asleep in a car seat. The baby was evaluated by St. Clare’s EMS, found to be in good health, and placed into his father’s custody.”

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said he was proud of the “exemplary work” that the officer did on Monday evening.

“His quick thinking and actions served to not only locate a stolen vehicle, but to rescue a child left alone in an abandoned car,” Fontoura said.

No additional information about the theft was immediately available.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.