A man accused of stealing a car from outside an Oakland Park restaurant with a three-year-old child inside and then fleeing has been booked into a Broward County jail.
The man, 33-year-old Phillip J. Pepe, Jr., was taken into custody on June 23rd in Lake Worth, Broward Sheriff’s Office officials said. He was booked into the Broward County jail on Thursday.
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According to detectives with the Broward Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit, on June 17th, deputies arrived at an Oakland Park IHOP over reports of a stolen vehicle with a three-year-old boy inside.
Surveillance video captured the moment a woman arrived to pick up food at an IHOP, located at 3101 W. Oakland Park Boulevard, just after 8 a.m., and stepped away from her car without the child.
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Moments later, Pepe was seen jumping into the car and driving away.
Surveillance video shows the woman shortly after, food in hand, walking frantically through the parking lot as she realizes her vehicle with her child inside is nowhere to be found.
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A few minutes later, BSO deputies arrived at the IHOP parking lot after the woman was seen speaking on the phone.
Luckily deputies found the vehicle moments later with the child unharmed at a gas station at 1901 N.W. 40th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale, according to the report.
Pepe was scheduled to appear in Broward bond court Friday.
He is facing a number of charges including kidnap of a minor/confine child under 13 years of age without consent of a parent, kidnap/false imprisonment of a child under 13 years of age without consent of a parent, and grand theft auto.
