Mum reveals traumatic moment baby boy was stolen inside car

Erica Carter has revealed the traumatic moment she watched as a stranger drove her car away with her baby boy strapped to his seat inside.

The woman whose baby boy was stolen when she left him in the car to buy a loaf of bread has spoken out following the traumatic incident earlier this week.

Erica Carter’s four-month-old baby, Jordan, was left in her running Honda Jazz on Monday in the Adelaide suburb of Klemzig when she dashed into a deli about 7.45am.

In the moments she was gone, her car with Jordan inside was taken by a man who police will allege in court arrived at the car park in a stolen Mazda.

Dramatic footage showed the distraught mum frantically attempting to stop the vehicle as it drove away.

Speaking with 7 NEWS on Thursday, Ms Carter said she regretted making the decision to leave Jordan in the unlocked car on his own.

“I went for a quick trip to get a loaf of bed and made the wrong decision to leave bubs for that split second,” she told the network.

Erica Carter ducked into the deli to get some bread before he son was taken. Picture: Seven News

“And as I was paying for my bread, I heard my car rev and my heart just sunk. I sprinted out after my baby boy and tried my best to get in front, but I couldn’t get to him, I was just yelling, ‘my baby, my baby Jordan’ and I thought the worst,” she recalled.

In a strange coincidence, Ms Carter said she too was abducted as a child.

“I got followed as I was walking my mum’s dog, and I was grabbed and put into a car,” she said, revealing she was 11 at the time.

Fortunately, her dog bit the abductor – who was never found – and she managed to unlock the door and escape from the car. The incident took her years to recover from, she said.

Ms Carter tried to stop the car driving away. Picture: Seven News

An extensive search was launched after Jordan was taken, which ultimately led to him being discovered unharmed in the back of the car just after 10am in Enfield, about five kilometres away.

Ms Carter described it “the longest few hours” of her life.

“It’s sad we live in a world where we can’t trust what’s around us, and we can’t feel safe,” she said.

Jordan was taken to the hospital as a precaution and was reunited with his mum shortly after.

A 37-year-old Para Hills man was arrested in the Adelaide CBD at 6pm, and has since been charged.

Police will allege in court the man entered the carpark in a stolen Mazda, before attempting to take the woman’s Honda.

The man was later arrested. Picture: Seven News

A second man was also arrested on an outstanding warrant.

“Police located the vehicle at Wilkinson Ave at Enfield and, thankfully, seated in the rear was the child,” said South Australia Police Chief Inspector Matt Nairn on Monday morning.

“An ambulance has attended along with police and now mum and we can confirm the child is safe and well.

“It’s a great relief to South Australia police to reunite mum and child … you can imagine the distress that caused mum.”