Two thieves drove off in a man's car with his son still inside after turning up to give it a 'test drive'.
The dad, who didn't wish to be identified, was trying to flog his car on Gumtree and had a response from a man and woman who said they wanted to try the car out before parting with any cash.
The man, from Adelaide in Australia, agreed and sat in the blue 1998 Subaru WRX with the couple, while his little boy was in the back.
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After a spin around the block they arrived back at the seller's house and asked if they could switch drivers to both have a turn.
However, as the seller tried to get into the front seat, the male suspect put his foot down and sped off, while the five-year-old boy was still in the back seat next to the woman.
The panicked dad attempted to follow the couple in another car, and the suspects dropped off the boy unharmed on the side of the road, about 300 metres away.
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Police are now hunting for the couple and the car.
The car's owner said he was 'scared for his life' during the incident and that he had struggled to sleep the following night.
Speaking to ABC, he said: "They could do anything... if they had a gun, they could shoot other people.
"I haven't seen people like this before."
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The owner said his wife was also left frightened and didn't want to leave the house after the incident but that, thankfully, the boy didn't seem any worse off.
"[The little boy] thought it was just fun or a joke, maybe because he's little and doesn't understand," the 30-year-old added.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the couple were a 'disgrace' and has urged anyone with information to come forward.
Stevens said: "As a parent, you would be absolutely horrified to be involved in a situation like that, where a five-year-old child is taken.
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"I think it goes to the nature of the people who committed this crime that they have no regard for the welfare of the child or the parents."
One suspect is described as a white, bald male of medium build with numerous tattoos, while the other was a white female with blonde hair.
Featured Image Credit: South Australian Police