Michael Ryan recounts moments after baby Arli was taken in brazen car theft

The father of baby Arli, who was taken in a terrifying car theft, has spoken of the nightmare 20-minute period his son was missing.

The mum browses at goods in the pet store, oblivious to what’s about to happen. Picture: Supplied

A young father has spoken of his disbelief after hearing that his son had been taken during a terrifying car robbery in Adelaide’s inner North.

Michael Ryan, father of one-year-old Arli, said he thought the worst after police told him what had happened.

“I thought I had just lost my son,” he told 7 News.

“My partner, she actually was shouting at him: ‘my baby is in the car, my baby is in the car’.

“He even looked in the side of the car.”

Arli was asleep in the back when the thief jumped into the car at the front of a pet food store in Clearview on Thursday.

CCTV shows the minute his mother realised what had happened and desperately tried to stop the man from stealing her car with her son inside.

Baby Arli was reunited with his dad after he was taken with his mum’s car. Picture: 7 NEWS

As a man entered the driver’s seat of her Mazda CX-9, the mother went into panic mode immediately, screaming at the suspect to stop.

Mr Ryan’s partner returned to hospital today for more scans after she hit her head after being pushed to the ground.

A nightmare 20-minute period followed for the parents as police tracked the vehicle using the mother’s phone.

“It still leaves a bad feeling to think that he was in the car, just sitting there by himself on the side of the road with no-one,” Mr Ryan told 7 News.

The car was found dumped on Pioneer Ave in Walkley Heights at about 11.20am, with the suspect fleeing the scene.

Police were still investigating on Friday, with officers yet to make an arrest in relation to the incident.

A thief who stole an SUV with a one-year-old baby asleep in the back seat remains on the run. The mother tried to stop the man from driving off but was pushed to the ground. The latest in 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | https://t.co/iO6ookQkFO@HannahFoord7#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/WWfaPLqiUv

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) May 19, 2023

An Adelaide mum can be seen sprinting to the door as she watches a thief take off in her car, with her little boy still strapped in the back seat. Picture: Supplied

The Adelaide mum can be seen on the ground, to the left of the car, after she fails to stop the thief and is flung to the floor. Picture: Supplied

The suspect is described as being of caucasian appearance with a scraggly beard. He was wearing faded track pants with light lines down the side, a hooded jumper that was creamy in colour with a bit of white.

Michael Ryan father of the child at the centre of today’s car theft at Clearview. Picture 10 News

Tim Beaton, the co-owner of The Pet Food Centre on Hampstead Rd, said the mother was in his shop when the incident occurred. Picture: Eva Blandis

Tim Beaton, the co-owner of The Pet Food Centre on Hampstead Rd, said the mother was in his shop when the incident occurred.

“Basically, we were serving … a few customers at the time, and then she went running out to her car,“ he said.

Mr Beaton said the car started going backwards.

“She went out there and got pushed out of the car by someone who was stealing the car,” he said.

The shop owner said he didn’t realise initially that a baby was inside.

“She was distraught as you would be,” he said.

“We comforted her, we rang triple-0 and got the police out.”