What a 'compassionate' criminal.

As much as I love Houston, this is the kind of stuff that you hear about all the time here. And usually its a carjacking and someone is shot. What a nice car thief this was... Can you even imagine what this little boy was thinking? It makes me sick. He will be scarred for life. Probably more by the fact that his mom left him in a running car with the doors unlocked in the middle of shady Houston, then by the actual hoodlum himself. Seriously, I can't say it is funny - because it's horrible... but it is surprising that a criminal would have his wits about him and compassion enough to actually find a fire station to drop the little boy off at. Anyway, here is the story...

A 4-year-old boy was reunited with his parents this morning after a carjacker drove off in a sport utility vehicle with the child still strapped in the back seat.

The boy's mother told police she had left her son inside the tan 1997 Ford Expedition while she went inside a convenience store in the 2600 block of Airline about 8:30 a.m., said Houston police spokesman Gabe Ortiz.

From inside the store, the woman saw a man jump into the vehicle and take off, Ortiz said.

The carjacker stopped at Fire Station 15 in the 5300 block of North Main about 15 minutes later.

"He pulls up at the fire station and tells the kid to get out and go inside," Ortiz said. "So the kid gets out and runs inside."

The boy was unharmed, but emotionally distraught, said Capt. Beda Kent of the Houston Fire Department.

Firefighters called police and the child was soon reunited with his parents, Kent said.

Police said they recovered the Expedition late this morning in the 800 block of Adele at Airline, not far from the fire station. They still are looking for the carjacker, however.

He is described as a Hispanic man, 25 to 28 years old, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 150-160 pounds with black hair. He was wearing a black shirt and blue jeans.

Police asked that anyone with information about the man call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

By LINDSAY WISE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle