NJ teen steals car with 2-year-old inside, cops say

A teenage boy who stole a car with a toddler inside has been charged with kidnapping and numerous other counts, authorities said Friday.

The 16-year-old took the car around 11:30 p.m. Thursday at a Roselle home, shortly after the vehicle's owner had arrived there. according to the Union County Prosecutor's Office. The owner was bringing items from the vehicle into the home when the theft occurred, and it's not clear if the teen knew the 2-year-old boy was in the car.

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Roselle police soon located the vehicle and began a pursuit that went into neighboring Elizabeth. The teen was soon captured there following a brief foot pursuit, and the child was found unharmed on a sidewalk in Roselle and was reunited with his family a short time later.

The teen, whose name was not released, was being held in a juvenile detention facility pending a court hearing. He's charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, motor vehicle theft and eluding.

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