3 Canadian children safe after car theft

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SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Three Canadian children had a brief, but scary, ride when a possibly drunk carjacker stole their dad's car with them inside, police say.

Police in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. the boy, 11, and his sisters, ages 5 and 3, were in the car in their driveway about 11:20 p.m. Monday when their father left the car running while he ran into his ex-wife's home for a minute. That was enough time for someone to jump in and drive away.

"I was freaking out," said Naomi Lumberjack, the children's mother who saw the car roll away. "I couldn't even call 911. A friend had to call for me."

Fortunately, the thief let the children out unharmed about 7 blocks away.

By 1 a.m. Tuesday, police had found the car with a 25-year-old man behind the wheel. While they weren't sure he was the person who stole the car, police arrested arrested him on multiple charges, including impaired driving. Additional charges of unlawful confinement of the children and auto theft are possible, police said.