By CATHY ARONSON
Auckland toddler Jack Hawkeswood is unlikely to remember the "adventure" in which he was inadvertently kidnapped by a car thief.
His mother, Kelly, will never forget it.
The two hours she was separated from 22-month-old Jack were the most gruelling of her life.
Retelling the story of Jack's adventure to
the Weekend Herald yesterday, Mrs Hawkeswood struggled to explain how she felt when her son was returned to her unhurt.
"It was just unreal. He is so precious. I never want to let go of him again."
Tuesday's drama began while Jack was asleep in his carseat as his grandmother was having paint mixed at the Resene Colourshop in Manukau's Cavendish Drive.
His mother was standing beside the late-model Toyota Rav-4, but the opportunist thief forced his way into the vehicle and started to drive off.
Jack woke to loud screams of "there's a baby in there" and saw his mother and grandmother clinging desperately to the open driver's door as the thief reversed.
Mrs Hawkeswood kept one arm on the thief and one on the door, but her eyes never left Jack.
"I didn't take my eyes off him. He was staring back at me, startled. He had no idea what was going on."
She could describe nothing about the thief except that he was a short and fairly fat Maori or Pacific Islander in a dark T-shirt and shorts, but she did catch a smirk on his face before she was flung from the car.
She was left bruised and cut, and screaming for Jack.
Her husband, Brookby garage owner and contractor Andrew, soon had police, three friends in helicopters and about 100 others searching for Jack.
He put out pleas on the radio asking the thief to leave his son in a safe place. The couple never considered kidnapping.
"Time just stood still," said Mrs Hawkeswood.
But about 45 minutes after Jack was taken, he was dropped off at a Manurewa shopping arcade about 4km away, and spotted by a local baker.
By the time the police arrived to pick him up he was cheerfully eating a lolly.
His father said he was unharmed and seemingly "totally oblivious" to what had happened.
The car was found burned out in Weymouth on Thursday with the family's belongings stolen, including Jack's life-long pal, "Ted".
But Jack, who was once inseparable from the teddy, has now fallen for a new spotty dog toy given to him by the police officers who returned him to his parents.
The family plan to tell Jack about his ordeal when he is older, but for now prefer his peaceful ignorance and refer to the day as "Jack's adventure."
By CATHY ARONSON
Auckland toddler Jack Hawkeswood is unlikely to remember the "adventure" in which he was inadvertently kidnapped by a car thief.
His mother, Kelly, will never forget it.
The two hours she was separated from 22-month-old Jack were the most gruelling of her life.
Retelling the story of Jack's adventure to
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