Calgary Police have charged a 21-year-old man in connection with an incident on Sunday night involving a stolen vehicle and a child abduction.

Police were called to the 10000 block of Macleod Trail S.E. just before 6 p.m. on December 21 for reports of a stolen vehicle with a child left inside.

The driver of the GMC Yukon, also the mother of the abducted child, was inside a nearby store with her other child, a two-year-old, at the time the incident occurred.

The vehicle was left running; the doors unlocked

That was apparently too inviting of a target for the thief, who jumped into the SUV and fled the scene, unaware the child was in the back of the vehicle.

Police say the offender was found less than half an hour later in the 9800 block of Horton Road S.W.

They believe that the suspect may have realized there was a child in the car and flagged down a passerby to call 911.

The suspect was arrested at the scene by police.

Killick Donnie Hunter, 21, of no fixed addess, is being charged with one count each of motor vehicle theft, operating a motor vehicle while unauthorized, and driving while uninsured.

Police say that Hunter will not be charged in relation to the child abduction because they say he was not aware the child was in the vehicle in the first place.

EMS crews examined the child and found he was not harmed in the incident.

The 10-month-old boy was then reunited with his family.

Police are reminding the public never to leave a vehicle with a child inside unattended for any amount of time, for any reason.

“People like to keep their vehicles warm, to have a warm vehicle to get into. But this is something that can happen, as rare as it is. It can happen and it could be very serious,” says Duty Inspector Joel Matthews with the Calgary Police Service. “The results could’ve been very serious. We’re just thankful the results worked out well.”