Police say 36-year-old Mackenzie Switzer is a drifter and serial criminal accused of crimes from Florida to California.
On Sunday, at around 1:30 p.m. Switzer pulled into the parking lot of a Dollar General in a Chevy Malibu he was driving, which was reported stolen out of New Orleans.
"He shows up in the 200-block of Veterans at a retail outlet, abandons a stolen vehicle, jumps into a Nissan Rogue, takes off and it had a ten-year-old child in the car," Police Chief Keith Conley said.
Security video shows the suspect getting into the SUV with a 10-year-old boy inside.
But before he can leave the parking lot, the boy jumps out and runs into the store.
"The vehicle was left unattended except for the ten-year-old with the engine running and the vehicle was obviously unlocked because he was seen on video just opening the door and getting in the vehicle," Conley said.
The boy's cellphone was left behind in the Nissan; and helped police track the stolen SUV.
License plate readers then picked up the vehicle in 8600-block of Airline Drive in Metairie where investigators say Switzer broke into a car dealership and stole some key fobs.
"Our officers saw him walking the parking lot, trying the fobs, trying to see what vehicle matched up with that fob when he was confronted by the officer and detained," Conley said.
Police arrested Switzer who now faces a list of charges including illegal possession of stolen things, carjacking and simple kidnapping.