**Man Faces Grand Theft and Kidnapping Charges After Driving Off with Woman’s Car, Then Returning It Seconds Later**
COCOA, Florida (WESH) – A man is facing charges of grand theft and kidnapping after video footage captured him driving away with a woman’s car, only to return it seconds later, according to police.
William Mullis, 53, was seen on camera outside a Sunoco gas station in Cocoa, near U.S. Highway 1. Surveillance footage shows Mullis looking around before walking north, out of view of the gas station’s camera, toward the victim’s vehicle.
The car was then recorded driving toward the exit, stopping briefly before turning right onto U.S. Highway 1. It then reversed, passed the gas pumps, and finally came to a stop in a parking space in front of the store.
The vehicle’s owner, a mother, ran out of the gas station and confronted Mullis. She told investigators that Mullis said he would not have stolen the car if he had known a baby was inside. He then apologized and left the area on foot.
“I’m sure this is a parent’s worst nightmare,” said Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Tod Goodyear. “In this case, she’s very lucky that this guy saw there was a child in the back seat, got a case of remorse, and decided to drive back and give her her car back with her child in it.”
Under Florida law, it is illegal for a parent or anyone responsible for a child younger than 6 years old to leave the child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes. Additionally, the vehicle cannot be running, and the child may not be left alone if their health is in danger or they are in distress.
Goodyear noted that it appears the child was inside the car for only a few minutes. At this time, the mother is not facing any charges.
“I have three kids. I have four grandkids, and it’s a pain to take the kids out of the car when you’re going in for just a short period of time,” Goodyear said. “But this kind of reinforces—you never know what’s gonna happen. You never know who’s watching you.”
Mullis is currently being held without bond. His next court date is scheduled for early November.
*The-CNN-Wire™ & ©*
https://wsvn.com/news/local/florida/i-wouldnt-have-taken-it-if-i-knew-florida-man-returns-car-with-baby-inside-after-taking-it/