Suspect sought after child, family dog abducted in slider crime

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - Coweta County investigators continued their search Monday for a slider thief who stole a car with a young child and family dog inside.

The crime happened shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday at a Texaco service station off of Interstate 85 at exit 51.

Deputies told FOX 5’s Doug Evans a mother left the 3-year-old girl and dog inside of her Volkswagen Beetle when she went inside to pay for gas.

“The child was asleep. It was cold. She did not want to get her out in the cold weather, so she just left her in there long enough to pay for gas,” Investigator Anthony Grant said.

Surveillance video shows the thief getting into the front passenger seat of the car, sliding to the driver’s seat, and driving off.

It only took the man 35 seconds to steal the vehicle.

“The whole incident took 35 seconds from start to finish,” Grant said.

Investigators believe the thief drove to a RaceTrac gas station in Union City and dropped off the girl and dog.

An employee found the two near a dumpster outside the station.

“An employee at RaceTrac found the child and her dog outside of a dumpster crying for her mommy,” Grant said.

Authorities quickly reunited the mother with her child and dog, and both were unharmed.

Deputies recovered the stolen vehicle Monday morning.

Investigators released video of a suspect from inside the service station.