Minnesota dad saves 4 children taken during carjacking by chasing them in suspect’s car

A father in Minneapolis, Minnesota heroically saved his children after they were victims of a carjacking Wednesday night, when he used a stolen vehicle the suspect abandoned, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.

Minneapolis police said Derek Gotchie, of Burnsville, used a vehicle left behind by the suspect, which was later determined to be stolen, to track down his own vehicle, which still had his four children sitting in the backseat. The father rammed his own vehicle and the suspect fled.

All the children were under the age of 5, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis.

A police car drives swiftly outside the 3rd Precinct Police Precinct on May 26, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 
(Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

The chase started when Derek and his wife, Deanah, were parked near a friend’s home near the 800 block of Russell Avenue North unloading items from the family’s vehicle at approximately 8:40 p.m.

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As Deanah was out of the vehicle moving the items, Derek briefly exited to close the backdoor, when the alleged thief jumped out of the stolen SUV and jumped into the family’s car, police said.

Deanah recalled to KSTP that she was confused watching the car take off without her — or her husband — inside.

“I turn around, and I’m like, ‘What?’ I look out the door, and I see our tail lights leaving,” Deanah told the outlet.

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The approximate location where the father rammed the vehicle, along the intersection of Plymouth Ave N & Penn Ave N, Minneapolis.
(Google Maps)

The father then jumped into the suspect’s abandoned vehicle and pursued them to the intersection of Plymouth Ave N & Penn Ave N, less than half a mile away.

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The suspect exited the vehicle and fled on foot, authorities said. Police did not say if any arrests have been made.

No injuries were reported.

MPD is still investigating the incident.