POCATELLO — Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect alleged to have stolen a local mother’s vehicle on Tuesday night with her sick infant still inside.

The entire ordeal lasted only about 15 minutes but was long enough to leave the mother terrified of what could have happened.

The ill 4-month-old baby girl was returned to her mother Tuesday night and police on Wednesday morning located the woman’s Dodge Journey compact SUV abandoned on West Alameda Road.

The incident began to unfold around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday at the Pocatello Walgreens on the 900 block of Yellowstone Avenue when the local mother parked her Dodge Journey and ran into the drug store to get her ill 4-month-old baby girl some medicine, police said.

But the mother unfortunately left her vehicle running.

With the mother in Walgreens, the suspect stole her vehicle with her sick infant on board in a car seat and sped away.

The terrified mother immediately called 911 after exiting Walgreens and realizing that her vehicle and infant daughter were gone.

Pocatello police began an immediate search for the suspect that remains ongoing. Police on Wednesday released photos of the suspect and are asking for the public’s help in identifying him.

About 15 minutes after the initial theft, a local resident found the baby girl and car seat in a grassy area off nearby Wilson Avenue and contacted police.

Pocatello police rushed to the scene, located the infant and reunited her with her mom. The infant was uninjured when found, police said.

If you have any information about the suspect in this case, please contact the Pocatello Police Department immediately at 208-234-6100.