A Georgia mother foiled a kidnapping Monday night when she chased down a car thief who took her vehicle while her child was in the back seat — and dragged him out of the car.

The mother got to the vehicle when the would-be thief stopped a short distance away, Holly Springs Police said. Joseph Avram, 48,fled the scene on foot, but officers got a photo and a description from video footage. A search in the vicinity of the incident — a Hop-in/Shell station on Holly Springs Parkway — with drones and dogs did not locate the suspect, but  officers later obtained his driver’s license information and pinged his cell phone.

The cell phone was in downtown Atlanta near the Greyhound bus station, where Atlanta officers took him into custody without incident.

Avram has been charged with kidnapping and theft by taking and is being held in Cherokee County.

Police did not name the victim or provide any information about her child. The kidnapping took place at 8 p.m., but police did not say when he was taken into custody in Atlanta, more than 35 miles away. They also did not say how he got to Atlanta.

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[Featured image: Joseph Avram/Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Holly Springs Police Department]