Alleged car thief takes off with victim's 6-month-old child inside in Winnetka

Police are investigating a possible kidnapping that happened in Winnetka on Sunday when an alleged car thief took off with a car that had a six-month-old child inside.

They were sent to the intersection of Chase Street and Oakdale Avenue at around 2:50 p.m. after learning of the incident, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Investigators say that the car, a Volkswagen Passat with some damage to the trunk, was discovered less than a mile away at Community Street and Oso Avenue with the child still inside.

It's unclear if any arrests have been made. At one point someone was detained, but police later confirmed that they were not the suspect.

The child was taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said. It's unclear if they were injured during the incident or if it was for a precautionary examination.

This is now the third similar incident to happen in Los Angeles County within the span of a week. It comes just two days after someone jumped into a car in the parking lot of a Ralph's grocery store in Sun Valley and fled with the child still in the backseat and five days after a pickup truck that still had a 10-year-old child inside was stolen in Sylmar.

In both of those instances, the children were safely returned to the parents after the cars were found abandoned.