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Tow truck driver repossesses car with newborn still inside, Indiana cops say

The repossession agency told authorities earlier that day it would be seizing the woman’s vehicle, according to media reports.
The repossession agency told authorities earlier that day it would be seizing the woman’s vehicle, according to media reports. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A repossession agency seized a vehicle with a newborn still inside, according to media reports citing Indiana police.

A woman called police around 11 a.m. June 6 and said she believed her 7-day-old baby was kidnapped, Sgt. Nick Winsett of the Evansville Police Department told the Courier & Press.

Investigators said they initially believed the car was stolen with the baby still inside, WTHR reported.

Authorities quickly realized a repossession agency had called the Evansville Police Department earlier that day to say it would be seizing the woman’s vehicle, according to the Courier & Press.

This is standard practice to let police know the vehicle was not stolen if a driver reports it missing.

The tow truck driver took the vehicle while the woman dropped her other child off at day care, police told WEHT.

The driver was alerted that there was a baby in the car and pulled over, the station reported.

“I am a good mom,” the woman told WFIE. “I was dropping my son off into daycare. It was two seconds.”

“This sounds like it was a huge mistake,” Winsett told the Courier & Press. “From now on, they’ll probably check that back seat before they drive off.”

Police said they don’t expect charges against the mother or the agents, WFIE reported.

Reports did not indicate the agency where the tow truck driver worked.

Evansville is in southwestern Indiana along the Kentucky border. It’s about a 175-mile drive southwest from Indianapolis.

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This story was originally published June 7, 2024 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Tow truck driver repossesses car with newborn still inside, Indiana cops say."

Lauren Liebhaber
mcclatchy-newsroom
Lauren Liebhaber covers international science news with a focus on taxonomy and archaeology at McClatchy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Previously, she worked as a data journalist at Stacker.
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