Police: Man steals vehicle with 3-year-old inside

MIAMI TWP, Ohio - Nobody would blame Ghanshyam Patel if he made an early New Year's Resolution. It would be to never again leave his car running with his daughter inside.

That's the result of a Sunday incident in Clermont County's Miami Township where his van was stolen with his 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Pari, inside.

Police charged Donald Wolffram, 25 and homeless, with theft of a vehicle, kidnapping, driving under suspension, fleeing and eluding plus resisting arrest.

Wolffram was arraigned Monday in Clermont County Municipal Court where his bond was set at $200,000 cash or professional.

The day began innocently enough.

With Pari in the van, Patel drove to the Sunoco station at the corner of Ohio Route 131 and Buckwheat Road. He runs the place, but his wife was working and he wanted to see how things were going.

As the couple spoke, Patel noticed a man wearing a hoodie walk across the front of the store toward the area where he'd left the car.

It was a face he'd seen before as a customer in the store.

"He buy every time -- some beer, some cigarettes, everything," said Patel.

As Patel left the store he gasped. The van was gone and so was his daughter.

"I got bad feeling," he said. "My wife, my father, everybody got bad, bad feeling."

Patel called Miami Township police and then began to pray for the safety of his child.

Officers swarmed the area looking for the van. Officer K. Ball spotted it and began a pursuit westbound on I-275. Contact was lost in the vicinity of I-275 Montgomery Road.

About that time, Clermont County Communications received another call saying the child had been dropped off at the Meijer gas station on Route 28 and was.

That produced an emotional father, mother and child reunion.

"I hug, I kiss, everything," said Patel. "I'm happy. My heart is happy. Everything is good. Mom is good. Everybody's good."