The thief then abandoned the distressed child, who was only wearing a nappy, by the road in Chelsea in Melbourne’s south-east, before fleeing the area in the stolen car about 4.15pm yesterday.
Police are still searching for the thief and are calling for help to find him and a man who used a credit card taken with the car.
The two-year-old’s father had left him asleep in the grey 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV and left the car running while he ran into a store to buy ice-creams on the Nepean Highway in Chelsea.
Detective Sergeant Grant Lewis said the father was only about 30 to 40 metres away from the car when a man jumped into the car and drove away in it.
The thief had clearly watched the father leave the car unlocked, the detective said.
The thief then drove 350 metres before he stopped on the Bath Street and left the child by the side of the road.
A passerby found the toddler, who was crying and distressed, wandering by the busy road and called police.
He was unharmed and quickly returned to his father, who Sergeant Lewis said had been left “very traumatised” by the incident.
Sergeant Lewis said it was a very fortunate outcome that the child had been returned unharmed.
“You’d hate to think of what could have happened,” he said.
“That’s why we’re treating the matter so seriously.”
He said the car thief would be charged with reckless conduct endangering life when he was found.
Police searched for the stolen car, which was last seen driving erratically south along the Nepean Highway towards Frankston, but were unable to track it down.
At about 5.10pm, a man was caught on CCTV at South Oakleigh McDonalds on Warrigal Road using the father’s credit card, which had been in the car.
The man has been described as 20-years-old, having an olive complexion, a moustache and dark shoulder-length hair.
He was wearing a white cap, black t-shirt and shorts.
Police do not believe he was the one who stole the car, but police are calling for help to find him along with the car thief and the car.
The car has registration plates BEL 650.
Anyone with CCTV, dashcam footage, information or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact police.