Man Enters Car With Kids Inside at Day Care Center

Humpty Dumpty Daycare Center on Richards Street in Southern Pines

As of Thursday, February 9, 2012

Southern Pines police are looking for a man who entered a car with two small children inside that was left running outside a day care center Tuesday.

The incident, which was captured on surveillance video, happened very quickly, police said.

“The suspect runs up to the car, gets in and then gets right back out,” said Lt. Rodney Hardy of the Southern Pines Police Department. “You’re talking 30 seconds or less.”

Police said the incident occurred between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m. outside the Humpty Dumpty Daycare at 1725 Richards St. A woman parked her vehicle and left it running with two small children inside while she took a third child inside the day care center, police said.

When the woman went inside, center employees called authorities after they saw an unidentified male enter the woman’s vehicle. The incident was recorded on a video camera in the parking lot.

Nothing was taken from inside the vehicle, police said.

The children inside the vehicle described the subject as a light-skinned black male wearing a white mask over his face, according to a police alert on the incident. The suspect fled the area on foot.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact the Southern Pines Police Department at (910) 692-7031 or on the anonymous tip line, (910) 693-4110.

Contact Tom Embrey at tembrey@thepilot.com.

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member 3 months, 2 weeks ago

This isn't the first time, either. A few years back a purse was stolen out of a car while a mother was dropping off her child. An older child was in the car when the man took the purse. It's not the best area, and the location seems to make it easy for people to do these sorts of things. The best thing we all can do is lock our car every single time we exit it AND make sure our children go in with us every time. I'm glad the children were not hurt.

PBinNC 3 months, 2 weeks ago

This woman is being lambasted on WRAL-TV's Facebook page as a criminal and unworthy parent. Perhaps the day care could have someone at the door when a parent is dropping off a child and has other children in the car. Taking three children out of car seats or unbuckling seat belts, getting them out of the car, leaving one at day care, then getting the other two back into the car and buckled up, is very time-consuming, especially if the mother is on a time schedule. WRAL suggested that the woman was to be criminally charged. I am sure she will never do this again. I think I read where she thought she had locked the car with her remote, but children can unlock cars, so that isn't the answer. When all is said and done, I would not charge the woman with negligence.

eflat7 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I'm sure the people on WRAL giving her a hard time are perfect parents. You know, the kind that don't have kids and know exactly how to raise them. I wouldn't leave my kids in a running car, but but she made a mistake, and i'm sure she is beating herself up enough.

TooHot 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Exactly!!!!! This lady isn't a criminal. Leave her alone.

ThinkingMan 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Whether she violated law or not comes down to the age of the children. It's against the law to leave your kids alone in a car. Giving her a pass just because it was a mistake is stupid. Our actions have consequences even if our actions were made in poor choice. There have been many horror stories in the past years of things that have happened when parents made the poor choice of leaving their kids in the car unattended!

PS: Although not perfect I am a parent. I also have seen in my years as a LEO the results of parents making stupid decisions. Thank God it did not turn out worse!

buskwon 3 months, 2 weeks ago

light skinned black male ? that's the same discription of the guy that robbed the man at burger king . I wonder if there is a connection ?

cantstandya 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Being over cautious these days might seem extreme but with the amount of criminals outnumbering law enforcement all should do their part,I have taught mine lock up the car but still park in a well lit area and to always check the backseat before getting in,the criminals are masters at preying on the unsuspected,don't know if it's the economy or what but crime is all over and those convicted seem to be back on the streets much to soon LEO's do their jobs but the judicial sytem is what fails by light sentences and especially on these repeat offenders,maybe a stronger set of judges that hand down these sentences would serve the public better and give more support to our LEO's who have to continue dealing with many of the same criminals.