Las Vegas police recently arrested a convicted sex offender after he stole a van with a 4-year-old boy inside.
36-year-old Darin Russell Stewart was arrested after the incident on May 10.
The van was stolen while it was parked at a family’s home near Eastern Avenue and Warm Springs Road.
Police say that a local father was picking up his wife and daughter when a stranger jumped into the van’s front seat.
The father reportedly asked the man not to take the van because his son was in there, but the man responded that he did not care and took off.
The father got into another vehicle and chase the stolen van.
Police soon arrived and began following the van. Stewart eventually crashed the van into a Southwest Gas meter near South Pecos Road and Tropicana Avenue.
Stewart ran from the scene, but police were able to located him in the area.
Police found a glass smoking pipe with methamphetamine at the scene. They also found a bag that contained checks written to a woman and a fraudulent $100 bill at the scene.
Stewart is facing charges for kidnapping, grand larceny auto, child abuse/neglect, and possession of drugs.
