Police found the car abandoned some hours later, but without the toddler inside. Volunteers launched a frantic search as it got dark and cold temperatures dropped even further.

Finally, at 1 a.m., Officer Chris Poccia spotted a bundle of purple sitting in a parking lot.

Video taken from a dash camera showed the officer jumping out of the car and scooping Caraline up. She was, thankfully, unharmed.

"You could tell she was just really scared and really cold," Poccia told the Associated Press.

The search for the thief is still on, with police circulating security camera footage of the car dropping the toddler off in the grocery store parking lot before abandoning the vehicle several miles away.

Mobile users see video here.

About the Author

Featured

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue said joining neighboring states to form a new accreditation agency will “keep Georgia’s universities among the best in the nation." (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC