A heart-stopping situation unfolded in Chicopee, Massachusetts on Friday when a 3-year-old boy was briefly abducted during a car theft, triggering an Amber alert before he was safely recovered at a Connecticut hotel.
According to Massachusetts State Police, 52-year-old Vadim Vorobyov of Springfield allegedly stole a Toyota Camry around 8:40 am that had been left running outside a residence on Exchange Street – with young Liam David Pagan in the backseat.
Authorities issued an urgent Amber Alert around 10:30 am as the frantic search for the stolen vehicle and missing child intensified. However, the incident came to a relatively swift conclusion.
Just after 10:40 am, state police announced they had located Liam safe at a Rodeway Inn in Windsor, Connecticut after Vorobyov allegedly dropped him off there before driving to a nearby shopping plaza.
The suspect was apprehended at an Anytime Fitness gym in Windsor shortly after. He faces charges including kidnapping, child endangerment, and stealing a car from justice in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Though shaken, Liam appeared unharmed and was transported to a Massachusetts hospital as a precaution. His recovery capped off an intensive multi-state response that mobilized significant law enforcement resources.
This incident portrays the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, even briefly. The national nonprofit Kids and Cars Safety reported 27 similar cases already this year of children left alone in stolen cars.
They urged parents to never leave kids alone in cars, instead, they can utilize options like drive-thrus, curbside pickup, or asking businesses to bring orders to their vehicles when children are present. Locked car doors and keeping keys on one’s person were also recommended as preventative measures.
