- Duaraj Karishna Ramanujam charged on Friday
- He allegedly stole a car to teach his father a lesson
A man who allegedly stole a car with a five-year-old boy inside to “teach the child’s father a lesson” has been charged.
Duaraj Karishna Ramanujam, 42, arrived at the Shell service station on Princes Highway in Officer, southeast of Melbourne, about 8.45am last Saturday.
He saw a five-year-old boy sitting alone in a gray pickup truck after his father ran inside to grab a piece of water while leaving the vehicle running.
Ramanujam jumped off his motorcycle, allegedly jumped into the ute and drove off with the child still inside the vehicle.
Victoria Police initially arrested the 42-year-old man and on Friday confirmed he had been charged with motor vehicle theft and child theft.
Earlier, Ramanujam targeted the father for leaving his son in the car and claimed that he was trying to send him a message.
‘It’s not a big crime, is it? “I’m saving a kid, man,” he previously said. 9News.
‘He left the car and the child with the engine running, which is not good. You should realize your stupidity.
Duaraj Karishna Ramanujam, 42, arrived at the Shell service station on Princes Highway in Officer, southeast of Melbourne, about 8.45am on Saturday.
Ramanujam jumped off his motorcycle, allegedly jumped into the ute and drove away with the child still inside the vehicle.
The father got out of the servo just two minutes after abandoning the car and saw that it had been stolen.
He ran inside and used the company phone to call his cell phone, which he had left in the truck.
Ramanujam said he intended to take the boy to the police station before the boy’s father called him and the couple agreed to meet at Pakenham police station.
The boy’s parents met Mr. Ramanujam at the police station, where Mr. Ramanujam was surprised to be greeted with “distrust” and handcuffed.
He told police there had been a misunderstanding because he simply wanted to teach the father a lesson in child safety.
Ramanujam was released after speaking to detectives from the Cardinia Crime Investigation Unit before being charged.
He claimed he was using “common sense” in allegedly taking the child and insisted it was “the right thing to do.”
“My advice to them is to consider the actions that led to these consequences,” he said.
Ramanujam will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on November 28.