An Atlanta man says he went inside an Atlanta gas station Saturday night after having trouble using his credit card at the pump, then watched in horror as someone drove away in his car, his twin girls asleep in the back.

Lester Chaney told Channel 2 Action News the gas pump at a Texaco gas station on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Atlanta would not read his card, so he went inside to pay. That’s when he watched someone get into his Toyota Camry.

“I ran to unlock the door, but the door was locked or whatever and the guy took off,” Chaney said.

The car was found abandoned in an apartment complex parking lot about a quarter of a mile away. One twin was still in the back of the car in her car seat. The other girl was found in a wooded area nearby. It appeared they slept through the entire ordeal.

Chaney admitted to leaving the car running with the doors unlocked.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com