An Amber Alert was canceled Wednesday morning after authorities in Alabama found a 9-month-old child who was inside a stolen vehicle.
Harlow Freeman was reported missing around 7 p.m. Monday. WIAT in Birmingham reported that the father left the child, who was sleeping, inside the vehicle while visiting a friend.
When he returned, the vehicle was gone, along with the child.
Fearing Harlow was in "extreme danger," authorities searched through the night.
The child was found alive and safe in Walker County. Police have not said whether the kidnapping suspect was also arrested.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration advises parents and caregivers to never leave children unattended in a car.
Woman sent to mental facility after leaving granddaughter in hot car
She was also responsible for the death of her grandson, the young girl's brother, less than a year prior when he drowned in a pond under her care.
In Alabama, there is no law prohibiting parents from leaving their child inside a car unattended. The law only applies to hired caregivers.
Kidsandcars.org, a nonprofit organization that advocates for child safety, reports that vehicles are stolen with children alone inside every week.
"This happens even in the safest neighborhoods and it only takes a few seconds for a thief to jump into your vehicle and take off with your child in tow," the organization warns. "Most of the time, the thief doesn’t see the child until they’ve already stolen the vehicle."
