Police locate stolen van with missing girl inside

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A 1-year-old girl is safe after the van she was in was stolen from a south side day care Monday morning.

Police found the Green Ford Windstar in a mobile home park near Lynhurst Drive and Troy Avenue.

The van was stolen from a day care in the 6400 block of St. Joe Drive around 7:30 Monday morning.

An employee at the daycare called 9-1-1, saying in part: “One of my ladies here, she was bringing her baby in she had another one waiting, someone drove off in the van with the baby in the car.”

Police said the child's mother left her in the van as she carried her son into the day care.

“She was not away from her vehicle very long," said IMPD spokeswoman Sgt. Linda Jackson. "She walked up to the door, turned around, and the car was gone. No direction of travel, no suspect description. So in an instant, her world changed.”

Neighbors were surprised to hear about the crime.

“Extremely surprised. It’s a pretty low-crime area to begin with, and ... it’s not a through street,” said Maureen Tibbetts.

An hour and a half after the minivan was stolen, police received a second 911 call. A person had spotted the van in the Lantern Estates Mobile Home Park, near Troy Avenue and Lynhurst Drive.

When police and paramedics arrived, they found the minivan with the keys and the baby girl still inside.

The girl was reunited with her mother just before 10 a.m. She was then taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital for evaluation.

Police have not made an arrest in the case.