EDMONTON — It was 2 1/2 hours of sheer terror for an Alberta woman Tuesday afternoon after her truck was stolen, along with her baby boy who was strapped into his car seat.
“It’s the most horrible experience you will ever go through,” said Brooke Hartum at the location in Edmonton where her 5 1/2 month old infant and her 2008 Dodge Ram were found.
“I just want to thank everyone,” said Hartum as she choked back tears.
The baby was unharmed and police say an Amber Alert — which spread details about the truck and the alleged thief across the Edmonton area — helped in the search for the child.
Hartum’s nightmare began when she went to pick up her daughter at Westboro Elementary School in Sherwood Park, east of Edmonton, about 3:25 p.m. She said she was standing in the parking lot when a male jumped in her pickup and took off. Police said the keys were left in the vehicle.
Several calls from the public to Sherwood Park RCMP were essential to finding the truck, said Strathcona County RCMP.
“This is the exact outcome we wanted. At the end of the day, no one got hurt,” said Edmonton police Insp. Joel Whittaker.
Police are now trying to find the abductor, calling in their identification unit to scour the truck for prints, said Whittaker.
He said they still don’t have a solid description.
RCMP Const. Wally Henry said they did not yet have reason to believe the theft was connected to the parents or the baby.