Beatrice Felicia, six, who went missing when her father’s car was stolen in Leyton High Road, east London, has been found safe and well, police have said.
The girl was sitting in the vehicle on Tuesday evening when her father met with a man interested in buying the vehicle.
The suspect jumped in and sped off Leyton High Road with the child in the back when Beatrice’s dad was out of the brown VW Passat.
Beatrice, a Romanian girl with long black hair, had not been seen since 6.30pm.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed she had been found “safe and well” at around 9pm in the Leyton area. There has been no arrest.
The force said earlier in the night:
“At around 18:30hrs on Tuesday, 16 May, the girl’s father met with an unknown man in Leyton High Road, with a view to selling his car.
“The man jumped into the car and drove away. The seller’s daughter was on the back seat of the car when it was taken.
“She is Beatrice Felicia, 6, from the local area. She is a Romanian girl with long black plaited hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a pink flowery top and grey leggings.
“The car is a brown VW Passat, registration number NG11 BMZ. It was last seen heading towards the Chadwell Heath area.
“The man who took the car is described as Asian, aged in his 30s, with short dark hair and a dark beard. He was wearing a dark jacket with white fur lining on the hood and green Nike TN trainers.
“Detectives from Waltham Forest police are leading the investigation.
“Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the girl or the car, or who has information that may assist police, should call 999 immediately.”