Armed robber stole car from horrified mother with 1-year-old baby still inside on Thanksgiving, Sacramento police say

A mother was horrified to watch as an armed robber drove off with her car with her baby still inside on Thanksgiving day, according to police in Sacramento, California.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office released a photograph of the alleged armed robbery suspect pointing his gun at the victim from an ATM machine near Stockton Boulevard and Lindale Avenue at about 6 a.m. Thursday.

Deputies said the car was found abandoned minutes later with the baby still inside near Florin Road and Fawn Way. The child was unharmed and reunited with the mother, according to police.

The suspect was able to escape despite police setting up a perimeter around the scene of the crime.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi said the department is dedicating resources to this case equivalent to "just short of murder" in order to catch the suspect.

"If this shocks your conscience a little bit, and you know who this person is, come forward, this is not your standard run of the mill victimless robbery, this is a mother who had her kid in the car," Gandhi added.

Police said that no arrests were made in the case and that they are seeking help from the public to identify the suspect. They described the suspect as either a white or Hispanic male wearing a dark-colored, hooded jacket during the incident.

"As fathers, especially, as brothers, husbands, everything else, that see this type of thing happening, we want to help her and help that child any way we can," Gandhi continued.

He also defended the mother from people on social media blaming the woman for leaving her baby in a running car while she went to an ATM.

There's a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

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