A suspected thief may have spotted a purse he could take from a vehicle Tuesday in Turlock, but he failed to notice the young child sitting in the back seat.

Thanks to the actions of the 7-year-old boy the suspected thief was apprehended and the boy’s mother got her purse returned.

The incident happened early Tuesday morning in the 1800 block of Porter Way.

The young boy was sitting in the back seat of the car waiting to go to school when a man opened the driver’s side door and grabbed the purse, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Russ Holeman.

It’s believed the robber did not see the boy, Holeman said.

The 7-year-old ran inside the home and told his mother about the theft and she contacted the police department.

Officers responded to the area and with the description given by the boy, were able to locate the suspect in a nearby area.

“The brave juvenile witness participated in an in-field show up and positively identified the responsible suspect,” Holeman said.

The suspect was identified as Jesus Perez, 36.

Perez’s home was located around the corner from the theft, and at the residence officers located the stolen purse.

The purse and its contents were released back to the owner and Perez was booked for the theft.