A man stole a vehicle with a three-year-old baby inside, on Saturday in Dammam.

Eastern Province police received an emergency call at 8 p.m. reporting a stolen car with a baby inside the car, Col. Ziyad Al-Ruqaiti, EP police spokesman, told Arab News.

“The father had left his daughter inside the car when he went for shopping at a local supermarket. The car engine was still on. The father came back to find his car stolen. When he reported this, EP police patrols and check points were alerted to find the vehicle and asked to put all units on lookout,” said Al-Ruqaiti.

Just after midnight, a person called the police to report that he had found a child on the street near his home in Qatif, some 40 km from the site of the crime. Police arrived at the scene and found the child safe and sound.

The missing girl was found following an intensive campaign on Twitter urging all users to help locate the stolen car and the missing girl. The police that are still looking for the suspect said an arrest was imminent.

“We always warn parents not to leave their children alone in the car or keep the car engine on,” said Al-Ruqaiti.

A similar incident had taken place in Jeddah on Oct. 2 when police officers had rescued an eight-year-old girl from a car-lifter who had stolen a man’s vehicle with his daughter still inside the car.

The criminal was arrested and the child was found after officers received information from someone who saw him driving the car down Al-Arbaeen Street in Al-Harazat neighborhood, near Al-Wattan gas station. He tried to escape but security patrols forced him to surrender.

Some police vehicles were damaged in the chase. The 27-year-old criminal had claimed he only wanted to steal the car and did not want to abduct the girl.