A Perth father has spoken of his horror at seeing a drunken passerby stealing his car with his sleeping baby inside.
David Donnelly, his wife and his brother were inspecting site works for a property the couple plan to build in Willagee on Sunday evening when the drama unfolded as a man and a woman walked past.
The man suddenly jumped into their car, which was parked just a few metres away with the engine running and the air conditioner on.
As he started reversing from the driveway, Mr Donnelly and his brother repeatedly tried to open the door and jumped onto the bonnet.
"He's just tried to throw me off and taken off down the street," Mr Donnelly told 6PR on Monday.
The thief hit Mr Donnelly's brother's parked car, drove around the corner, crashed into another car that was driving along the road then hit the curb.
The offender left the scene, leaving behind Mr Donnelly's 11-month-old son Corbin, who wasn't injured.
The 29-year-old father was swiftly reunited with the infant as he'd chased the car on foot.
Mr Donnelly defended his decision to leave the sleeping child in the car, saying he was only standing a few steps away and wanted to leave Corbin asleep as he had been restless recently.
He said the thief and his companion appeared drunk and on drugs, but it was still shocking that the man "decides to have a crack at the car while I'm standing there".
"It's almost a good thing he was too intoxicated to drive because he crashed it a few hundred metres away, got out of the car, staggered off into the early darkness and I went straight to the baby."
The woman stayed at the building site, hurled abuse at Mr Donnelly's wife and attempted to assault her, Mr Donnelly said.
"Told her to stop crying, `your baby's going to be fine'. She actually took a swing at her," he said.
"We wanted to, kind of, citizen's arrest the lady but a few of the neighbours said `don't touch them. Then you'll be in trouble'.
"She then mouthed off for a bit then slunk off."
The male offender is described as being dark skinned and wore a blue shirt and black shorts.
Mr Donnelly said the man's offending could be viewed as kidnapping and aggravated robbery.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers.
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