Car Stolen In South Austin With Sleeping Child In Back Seat

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — A man was arrested this week after allegedly stealing a car while a child was asleep in the back seat, according to a published report.

The incident occurred on Monday just after 5 a.m., the Austin American-Statesman reported. It began with a woman reporting her car had been burglarized, finding her belongings missing after exiting her office building to investigate further, according to the report. Just a few minutes later just two-tenths of a mile away,, police were called to Timber Ridge Road about a kidnapping, according to the report.

The woman making the second call said she had stopped at an apartment on an errand, leaving her purse containing $2,000 in cash and her sleeping 7-year-old grandson in the back set, the newspaper reported, referencing court documents. When she returned, the car, cash-filled purse and child were gone, according to the report.

Nearby surveillance camera footage was studied by police in ultimately tracking the suspect to 3209 S. Interstate 35 — a mere mile away from where the car was stolen. They found the suspect in a nearby barbecue joint with $1,312 in the front pocket of his shorts, according to the newspaper account.

Efrain Hank Amaro, 50, was charged with burglary of a vehicle with previous convictions, according to Travis County Jail records. According to those records, Amaro has been convicted of burglary of a vehicle five times since 2003. Police still are trying to make a case related to the car theft.

According to jail records, Amaro is being held at the Travis County Jail on Wednesday with bail set at $20,000. No booking photo was made available.

The report doesn't specify the condition in which the child was found.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

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