A suspected carjacker in the East Bay will make his first court appearance Friday.
Surveillance video from Tuesday shows the suspect, 34-year-old Viorel Morari, parking a stolen car in San Leandro and dropping a toddler off in the street before taking off.
For more than 30 seconds, the 2-year-old boy is wandering aimlessly by himself before a bus driver stops to get some help, with the police eventually reuniting the toddler with his mother.
Versie Adams told NBC Bay Area Thursday that he is still in shock about Morari dropping the boy just feet away from his photography studio in San Leandro.
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“It didn’t surprise me about the carjacking. But it just surprised me that someone would actually drop a 2-year-old off here and just take off and leave him,” Adams said.
Oakland police said the car was originally stolen in their city with the 2-year-old inside.
The toddler's mother left her iPhone and AirPods in the stolen car, which helped police track it, heading into Marin County.
“She was able to use technology to her advantage. When she saw the vehicle had entered in Marin County and appeared to be stopped at a location, she contacted our dispatch center and we sent responding deputies there,” said Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn with the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
The car was found empty at a McDonalds parking lot in Strawberry. But Marin County Sheriff’s deputies eventually located Morari, trying to get away on foot. He was eventually taken into custody by Oakland police.
Morari is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning and faces multiple charges, including carjacking, child abuse and kidnapping.
