Man arrested after allegedly stealing sedan with two kids onboard in Mountain View

Mountain View police arrested a 28-year-old man named Francisco Reynoso after he allegedly stole a Toyota sedan in Mountain View with two girls — ages 7 and 13 — still onboard, the police department announced in a press release on Monday.

Mountain View dispatchers got a call from a woman at around 7:30 p.m. on Christmas day reporting that her car had been stolen with two young family members still inside. The theft occurred after she parked near Dana and Castro streets in Mountain View and ran into a nearby store to grab groceries.

The two young girls in the sedan screamed when the they realized that a stranger had taken control, Mountain View police said in the statement. The children’s screams prompted the car thief to kick them out into the night and continue driving.

Responding officers were able to track the car down to Palo Alto the same day it was stolen. After discovering the sedan, officers found and arrested Reynoso for several outstanding warrants, carjacking, felony child endangerment and kidnapping. He has since been booked into the Santa Clara County Jail.

“I am very proud of the quick work of our dispatchers and our patrol teams last night, and I am grateful no one was hurt in this incident,” Captain Scott Nelson said in the press release. “Kudos to all who helped peacefully resolve this scary situation so quickly.”