Regina police find baby safe in SUV stolen while mom in store

REGINA, SASK. – Regina police say they were close to issuing an Amber Alert on Thursday when an SUV with a one-year-old girl asleep in the back seat was stolen while her mother was shopping inside a store.

The mother told police she left the child in the running vehicle when she went in to shop at the Groovy Mama outlet, but had locked the doors.

Police told a news conference they were almost ready to put out an Amber Alert when they got a call from an unidentified male on a pay phone, telling them where the vehicle was parked.

"The male sounded like he was in his early 20s," said Insp. Trevor Ewart, adding the caller promptly hung up the phone.

Police sped to the address and found the vehicle and the child, who was unharmed. She had been missing for about an hour.

The tearful mother, who didn't want her name used, told CTV Regina she was grateful to the public and the police for helping find her little girl.

Officers are still looking for the suspect.