Minneapolis police are investigating an auto theft that occurred Thursday while children were in the vehicle.

A father had left his children in the back seat of a running car around 4:45 p.m. while he picked up another child from school, according to Minneapolis police spokesman Garrett Parten.

The thief stole the car in the 1100 block of E. 19th Street before abandoning it a few blocks away.

Police found the vehicle with the children safe inside and reunited them with their father.