A baby was left on a grass verge in Taranaki after a man stole a car the child had been in, police say.
Police said the "concerning theft" took place in Waitara on Friday, and they have appealed to the public for more information.
In a statement, police said a man allegedly stole the vehicle from outside a Waitara store shortly after midday.
"Allegedly the man stole the vehicle with a baby in the backseat, just after the victim exited the vehicle," police said.
"The baby was left on a grass verge near the corner of Queen and Cameron Street, luckily uninjured."
Police found the vehicle abandoned on the corner of Henui and Mclean Sts about 6am today "after the vehicle was driven all over Taranaki in the weekend".
They said an associate of the alleged thief had been taken into custody and inquiries were ongoing to locate him.
The public was asked to contact police if they saw the silver 2014 Peugeot 508 station wagon, or have any information that could help, referencing file number 240510/8076.
