The 2-year-old was found unharmed in an abandoned Kia near downtown Colorado Springs shortly before 5 p.m.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Police released body-camera footage Wednesday showing officers pulling a missing 2-year-old from a stolen Kia Seltos after an Amber Alert rattled the city Tuesday afternoon. The boy was located in the SUV near a downtown mission, ending a frantic search launched around 2:43 p.m.
The case moved fast and on multiple fronts. Colorado Springs police said the SUV was taken from the 2700 block of King Street with the child strapped in a rear seat, triggering a citywide alert and a rush of patrol units. Investigators routed live video, traffic cameras and license plate readers through the department’s Real Time Crime Center as commanders monitored the search in real time. By just before 5 p.m., officers found the Kia abandoned near the Springs Rescue Mission and confirmed the child was safe. Detectives are still working to identify the thief, and police have not released a suspect description.
According to police, the emergency began about 2:43 p.m. Tuesday when a 911 caller reported a 2021 black Kia Seltos stolen from the King Street Apartments on the city’s west side. Doorbell video captured the SUV pulling away as a woman shouted that her child was inside. Officers broadcast the vehicle details, and by about 4:30 p.m., the department said an Amber Alert was in motion. The alert published roughly 20 minutes later. In the newly released body-camera video, officers open a rear door of the abandoned Kia and quickly lift the crying toddler out. “It was absolutely a relief,” Police Chief Adrian Vasquez said of watching the rescue from the Real Time Crime Center. “As soon as you see something like that, you can’t help but think, this is great and amazing,” he said.
Police credited surveillance tools for speeding the recovery. Command staff said analysts at the Real Time Crime Center pulled feeds from red-light cameras, city CCTV and automated license plate readers, alongside live body-worn camera views, to narrow likely paths. A drone-as-first-responder unit also deployed to scan alleys and lots near downtown. The boy’s family told reporters Wednesday the two hours felt “like forever” but were grateful for the outcome. A neighbor who reviewed doorbell video described the theft as “pretty bold” for midafternoon on a residential block. Paramedics examined the child at the scene; police did not report any injuries. The SUV, found just before 5 p.m. near the Springs Rescue Mission, was towed for evidence processing. Detectives have not said what, if anything, was taken from the vehicle, and the method used to abandon it remains under review.
Colorado Springs has leaned on the Real Time Crime Center for fast-moving searches since expanding the program, which integrates city cameras and license plate readers. The Amber Alert timeline in this case—internal notice around 4:30 p.m. and a public alert roughly 4:50 p.m.—tracks with standard verification steps, police said, which include confirming the abduction details, vehicle identifiers and the child’s status. While officers found the child minutes later, the alert helped broadcast the description across the region as units saturated likely corridors between the west side and the city core. Recent recoveries in Colorado have similarly involved neighborhood doorbell footage, which can show a suspect’s direction of travel when seconds matter.
Detectives are handling the investigation as a felony auto theft with a child kidnapping component. No arrests had been announced as of Wednesday evening, and police said they were not yet releasing a suspect description to protect the case. The Kia will undergo a forensic sweep, including prints and DNA. Investigators are also canvassing the downtown area for more video between 2:45 and 5 p.m. A case update is expected later this week, and any court filings would be handled in El Paso County. Police said they would continue reviewing calls and tips stored through the department’s intake line in the days ahead.
Parents and children reunited near downtown after officers opened the back door of the SUV. In the body-camera clip, the boy cries out as an officer carries him from the vehicle to a waiting patrol car. “We were so relieved when he was found and returned to us safe and sound,” the boy’s father said. The chief watched from the Real Time Crime Center along with analysts who had been flipping between camera feeds since midafternoon. “They’re so focused on trying to find, in this case, the child,” Vasquez said, “but as soon as you see something like that, you can’t help but feel relief.” On King Street, neighbors said the moment the SUV sped off left the block stunned and quiet.
As of Wednesday night, the child was back with family, and the stolen Kia was in police custody for processing. Detectives plan to release another status update when they have a viable suspect lead or an arrest, which could come as early as later this week depending on lab results and video review.
Author note: Last updated January 23, 2026.