Massoud Massoud relieved as young son found safe after frightening Dandenong car theft

A father whose two-year-old boy was in the back seat of his car when it was stolen in Dandenong has spoken of the horror ordeal and the joy of being reunited with his son.

Father-of-five Massoud Massoud got out of his black Kia Carnival to talk to another motorist when a thief pounced and took off. Picture: 9 News

A father has spoken of the joy of his son being found safe after he was snatched by a car thief in Dandenong.

Massoud Massoud was driving along Cleeland St, with two-year-old Mohammad, on Monday afternoon when he was involved in a minor traffic incident.

When the father of five got out of the family’s black Kia Carnival to talk to the other motorist, a passing thief jumped in and took off.

Mr Massoud told Channel 9 he was “totally lost” as he witnessed the car being stolen with his boy on board.

CCTV of the Kia Carnival being driven by a thief. Picture: 9 News

He said it all happened within 15 seconds.

“I pulled over to talk to the guy and we got out of (our cars) for 20 seconds,” the 40-year-old said.

“I looked back at my car and it was gone.”

Mr Massoud then teamed up with the driver he’d just been arguing with and they tried to follow in the other car, but lost track of the Kia.

Massoud Massoud with his son. Picture: Nine News

“He accelerated really hard and I couldn’t believe it. It was gone,” Mr Massoud said.

“I just jumped in (the other driver’s car) and we followed him to the hospital somewhere there.”

Police launched a major operation across the southeastern suburbs to find Mohammad before the little boy was spotted at 4.35pm wandering the aisles of a Woolworths supermarket 16km away in Ferntree Gully.

“I just regrew up a new life. He hugged me very hard,” Mr Massoud said of the moment he was reunited with his son.

“I asked him if he was scared, he said ‘no’,

“I asked him if he cried, he said ‘no’.

“I appreciate the shoppers, the community, everyone – they did a great job to inform the police and help my kid out there.

“I really appreciate it from my heart.”

The police effort to find the little boy involved a helicopter and canine units.

Kyle Bell, 24, was on Tuesday arrested at Dandenong over the Kia theft.

He was charged with child stealing, theft of a motor vehicle, unlicensed driving, and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

He was held on remand overnight and was due to appear in Dandenong Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.