Ilias Sammy Latsis pleads guilty to taking car, abducting baby child but not to aggravated act likely to cause harm

The man who took a car with a four-month-old baby in the back seat – sparking a frantic search – has made instant admissions to all but one charge. Picture: ABC News

A man charged with abduction has faced court after stealing a car with a baby inside it, sparking a large-scale search in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

Ilias Sammy Latsis, 37, of Para Hills, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he immediately pleaded guilty to three charges – including the abduction of a child – and expressed his “profound remorse”.

Stephen Ey, for Latsis, said his client “wants me to tell the court today of his profound remorse for the angst that he caused to the young baby’s mother, hence the early plea of guilty to that”.

Outside court, Mr Ey said his client was “very remorseful and upset” about the incident.

When asked if he knew a baby was in the car, Mr Ey said: “No. And that’s why he panicked”.

Mum feeds her four-month-old baby in the back of a police car after he was taken when her car was stolen. Picture: NINE NEWS

Latsis also pleaded guilty to two counts of driving or using a motor vehicle without consent.

Mr Ey told the court a charge of an aggravated act likely to cause harm would be contested and did not enter a plea, pending negotiations with prosecutors.

Court documents reveal that charge relates to Latsis abandoning the child “knowing the act was likely to cause harm and intending to cause harm or being recklessly indifferent” about whether it would cause harm to the baby. The charge was aggravated because it involved a child aged under 12.

Latsis is taken to the city watch house in police custody. Picture ABC NEWS

Latsis also pleaded guilty to a further eight charges on another file relating to a trespass and series of thefts on May 16 and 17 at Stepney, Glynde, Kilburn and Gepps Cross.

He did not apply for bail and will return to court in late June.

Photos emerged of the moment the mother and her four-month-old baby boy were reunited after more than two hours on Monday, when the stolen car was dumped in Enfield.

Latsis, wearing a red-and-white-striped T-shirt, took the mother’s white Honda Jazz about 7.45am Monday with the baby in the back seat as the infant’s mother was grabbing an item from a deli at Klemzig.

Heart-stopping footage was released showing the woman frantically realising her car was being taken as she tried to stop the runaway driver.

Police released images of the man who took the car with a four-month-old child in the rear from a Klemzig address around 7.45 in morning. Picture: SA Police.

Footage of the terrifying moment a man drives away in a car at Klemzig, with a baby in the back seat. Picture: 7NEWS

The thief exited a ute earlier stolen from Black Forest on Monday, police allege, before taking off in the white Honda.

The baby and car were located safe about 10am Monday.

Latsis was arrested at a home in the CBD about 6pm. A second man was arrested at the home on an outstanding warrant.

At the scene on Tuesday, a friend of the victim said she was quite shaken after the ordeal, but relieved her baby son Jordan was OK.

Superintendent Matt Nairn on Monday said the mother of the baby had made a panicked call to police immediately after the alleged abduction.

“Mum described that the baby was seated in a capsule in the rear seat at the time, with mum trying to intervene and stop him from leaving.”

Supt Nairn said “every available resource” in the metropolitan area was deployed in the search.

“To call it despicable is an understatement,” Supt Nairn said. “It is a great relief for SA Police to reunite mum and child.”