Car Stolen With Child Inside at DC Elementary School

The crime may have occurred in the drop-off line at Watkins Elementary, police said

A car with a 5-year-old child inside was carjacked Friday morning outside an elementary school in Southeast D.C., police say. The child was found unharmed a short time later.

A woman had just dropped off another child at Watkins Elementary School, at 12th and D streets SE, about 8:30 a.m. when she saw a man stealing something from another person's car, police said.

Witness Nicholas Berger said when the woman went to confront the man, jumped into her driver's seat. Her 5-year-old child was in the backseat.

"She was going understandably crazy," Berger said. "When she saw this guys get into her car and start to drive away, she grabbed onto the door, which was still partly open, and tried to grab him and pull him out. She was yelling at him,'Get out of my car, get out of my car.'"

But the man sped away and the woman had to let go, Berger said.

The thief abandoned the car and the child soon afterward, about four blocks east at 16th and D streets SE. Neither the child nor the car was harmed.

Police said the man had been with another man in Honda with Maryland tags. Police believe the men were last seen in a dark gray Nissan Versa with stolen Maryland tags 3DC2612.

The crime may have occurred in the drop-off line at Watkins Elementary, police said.

The principal at Watkins immediately sent a letter to parents about the incident.

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