A 32-year-old man from Mooroopna has been charged following an alleged car theft in Shepparton in which a 15-month-old toddler was left in a box after the vehicle was stolen.
It is alleged that the man stole a Volkswagen from a supermarket car park on Maude Street just before 2 pm on 14 November. When the vehicle’s owner returned, the trapped toddler had been removed from the car and placed in a box in the car park, though he was not physically harmed.
Detectives from the Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit and other officers from the Victoria Police arrested the man in central Shepparton on 21 November. The stolen vehicle was recovered in nearby Mooroopna the following day.
The man faces multiple charges, including theft of a motor vehicle, reckless conduct, endangering serious injury and committing an indictable offence while on bail. He was also charged in connection with an unrelated incident on 17 November in the Shepparton and Barmah areas, involving dangerous driving during a pursuit and exposing a police officer to risk by driving.
He has been remanded and is scheduled to appear at the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 24 November.
Victoria Police urged that although the toddler escaped physical harm, the incident highlights the serious risks of leaving children unattended in vehicles or unsecured settings.
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