San Francisco Police Chief William Scott is appealing to the people involved in kidnapping two children stuck inside a minivan that was robbed to turn themselves in to the authorities.
On Saturday night, officials found the missing children after they were separated from their father. The family’s minivan was stolen with the two kids inside when Jeffrey Fang made a delivery for DoorDash in Pacific Heights around 8:45 p.m.
Carnapping and Kidnapping
“Thank God, just thank God,” said Fang. on Sunday, the children were reunited with their father and are safely back home. Authorities discovered the victims in San Francisco’s Bayview district around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. The two kids were immediately brought to the hospital for medical assessments.
Police officers saw the children still inside their father’s minivan, a silver Honda Odyssey, which was stolen while unattended on Jackson Street in Pacific Heights. “I just want my kids back,” Fang said on Saturday.
Fang said during the encounter, he surprised the robber inside a van, and a scuffle ensued. However, the suspect was able to shake off the father and drive off with the minivan, with the children in tow.
“I heard a scream,” one neighbor said. Two neighbors, who wished to remain unidentified, assisted with the search for the minivan and children. “We started working our way down the hill, stopping at every minivan to check the license plate,” said another neighbor.
After reports of the incident, police immediately began a search for the missing kids. Authorities posted information about the characteristics of the children on Twitter and put out an Amber Alert to mobile phones across the Bay Area. The children were found about four hours later.
While two potential suspects remain at large, Police Chief Scott made a personal appeal. “The people involved in this, turn yourself in. this crime is very serious, to kidnap a vehicle and take two small babies away from their parents,” he said, ABC7 News reported.
“We were appalled by this brazen and heinous act and are actively working with law enforcement; as a father myself, I can only imagine how terrifying this incident must have been for Mr Fang and his family,” a statement by the DoorDash CEO said.
A GoFundMe account has been created to support Fang and his family that aimed to raise $90,000. “The response from the community warms my heart; there’s still humanity in all of us, I guess,” he said.
