Man arrested following theft of family car with infant still inside

Updated: 6.45pm

A man has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the theft of a car in Dublin while an infant girl was still in the vehicle.

The Irish Times reports the man, aged in his 40s, was detained on Thursday and was being questioned regarding the incident at Mountjoy Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

The theft took place at around 7pm on Sunday in Cabra after a couple left the engine of the vehicle running with their two children inside while they briefly went into their home.

A nine-year-old boy managed to escape the vehicle before the thief drove off from the property on St Attracta Road, quickly alerting his family.

His sister, a nine-month-old girl, was discovered abandoned face-down on a footpath beside a "busy north Dublin road" a short time later. Gardaí said the infant was unharmed.

The family's car has since been recovered and investigating officers have examined the vehicle for forensic evidence.