HONOLULU -- Authorities found a stolen car that had an infant in the back seat several blocks away from where it was taken in Liliha Tuesday morning.

The incident was first reported to police at 10:38 a.m.

A vehicle was taken from the Golden Coin restaurant and bakery on Liliha Street. The 5-month-old child was in a car seat in the back.

Raymond Corpuz parked his Honda Accord with his baby daughter, Aryanna, inside along busy Liliha Avenue. He kept the car running, because he wanted to keep the air conditioning on for the baby. He left his car a few spaces away from the entrance to the restaurant, where he was picking up a take-out lunch for his wife.

That's when police said another man jumped into the car and started to drive off. Witnesses said Corpuz tried to stop the car thief.

"He pound the back seat and yelling. I stay inside and I go look out and he still carry the food and I saw the car start moving," a nearby storeowner, Doan Thoc Thi, said.

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Family Reunited Witness Interview

Dan Sakamoto was driving mauka on Liliha Avenue when he noticed a commotion near the Golden Coin Restaurant at mid morning.

"I saw this gentleman. He was coming out to his car and then he started pounding on his car. And so I was wondering what was going on. The next thing I knew, the car took off. So, I knew right away that apparently, somebody was trying to steal his car," Sakamoto said.

Sakamoto followed the stolen car, as it turned right onto Kuakini Street. He dialed 911 on his mobile phone. He said he made a conscious decision to follow the car.

"That was the first instinct, you know, and hoping the guy didn't see me," Sakamoto said.

He reported his location to a police dispatcher, as he followed the stolen car into the Kuakini Medical Center grounds.

"Then the car drove around the parking structure, and that's where I lost him," Sakamoto said.

The car thief used a hospital access road to get to Stillman Lane on the makai side of Kuakini Medical Center.

Sakamoto said he couldn't make out the license plate of the car in the commotion. The dispatcher asked him to remain at the scene to fill out witness reports.

"She called me back about a minute later, and said, apparently what started out as a car jacking became a kidnapping because there was a 5-month-old baby in the car," Sakamoto said.

"I just started to pray that the baby would be alright. Thank God it turned out this way," Sakamoto said.

Police said Sakamoto's information about the car's location helped them narrow their initial search, which led to the discovery of the car just a few blocks from the hospital.

Police did a search of the area. On a second sweep by an officer, police found the car on Frog Lane, just a few blocks away from the restaurant with the child safe in the vehicle.

"I just wanted to make sure. We figured, hopefully, they'd dump the car when they realized there was a baby in the car. So, when I made checks again, I found the car parked over there," Officer John Pink said.

The car was found parked in a yard with other cars with its windows rolled up. Dark tint hid the baby inside.

"When I came here it was drizzling a little but all the windows were up. The car was not running. So, when I grabbed the baby from inside the car, (her) head was already starting to perspire. I grabbed the baby out of the car," Pink said.

The weather wasn't too hot Tuesday. Officers said a closed car heats up to deadly temperatures quickly. The officer found the child in good condition.

The girl's mother, Maryann Corpuz, arrived at scene at the corner of Frog lane and Pu'uhue Place after officers told her they found the stolen car there.

"I'm so happy and I was crying. I saw the car there and the officer drove us and I say, 'My baby,'" Maryann Corpuz said.

Authorities searched for suspects, but made no arrests.

Police stress that people shouldn't leave children alone in such situations.

"It doesn't matter how short a time period you leave your car. Don't leave children in the car unattended; especially with the car running," Honolulu Police Department Capt. Frank Fujii said.

Police had the Corpuz family car towed to HPD headquarters. Investigators will dust for fingerprints and look for clues to help solve the case.