Two charged in car theft with baby at Yeppoon shops

A four-month-old baby found herself in grave danger when a vehicle was allegedly stolen from a busy shopping centre with the child still aboard.

The harrowing incident unfolded at Yeppoon shopping centre during the midday rush on Wednesday, when a mother was loading items into the boot of her grey Nissan Patrol. In a moment of opportunity—or recklessness—a woman reportedly climbed into the driver's seat and drove away. She either didn't notice, or didn't care, that a four-month-old girl remained fastened in a rear car seat.

The mother's alarm was instant. She realised what had happened and chased after her vehicle, catching up to the driver and demanding her child be returned. The woman, whether panicked or compliant, stopped the car. The desperate mother retrieved her daughter from the back seat, and the child was removed safely from harm's way.

But the situation spiralled dangerously. Once the baby had been taken from the vehicle, the woman allegedly continued driving the stolen Nissan Patrol through the car park with apparent disregard for those around her. She struck two bystanders—a 16-year-old boy and a 39-year-old woman—both sustaining leg injuries in the collision. Both were transported to Yeppoon Hospital for treatment. The infant, mercifully, had escaped without physical harm during the ordeal.

Police began their hunt for the stolen vehicle immediately. By around 4 o'clock that afternoon, officers had located the grey Nissan Patrol at Bungundarra. Two people were arrested at the scene: a 24-year-old woman from Cobraball and a 36-year-old man from Mount Morgan.

The charges against them reflect the severity of the incident. The 24-year-old woman faces counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, abduction of a child, and driving without a valid licence. The 36-year-old man has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Both have been denied police bail and were scheduled to appear before Rockhampton Magistrates Court to face the allegations.

The incident underscores how quickly circumstances can escalate in moments of criminality and highlights the vulnerability of children, even in public spaces where mothers expect to be safe.