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A mistaken kidnapping call leads police to the discovery of a missing child in a family’s impounded car.

A mistaken kidnapping call leads police to the discovery of a missing child in a family’s impounded car.

13-year-old Mario Mustata fell asleep in the family car and woke up after it was towed overnight.



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A child who fell asleep in his family’s car woke up in an impound lot the day after the car was repossessed, leading to a mistaken abduction.

The Lakewood Police Department in Denver, Colorado tells PEOPLE they were contacted on Saturday, October 19, following reports of a stolen car with 13-year-old Mario Mustata inside.

“Our sergeant in charge quickly made the decision to treat this as a legitimate kidnapping and quickly marshaled all available LPD resources,” John Romero, Lakewood Police Public Information Officer, told PEOPLE.

The child’s family was staying at the Baymont Inn and Suites and realized he was missing that morning, CBS affiliate KKTV reported.

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According to the news channel, Mustata’s family feared he had been kidnapped and that their car had been stolen during a stop during a family trip. However, the car was confiscated on the night of Friday, October 18.

An hour after the abduction was first reported, the car and child were found 12 miles away at an impound lot in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood thanks to the car’s tracking system and help from the Denver Police Department, NBC affiliate 9 News reported.

According to the station, Mustata was safe and asleep, wearing a black sweatshirt and covered with a large blanket.

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“The tow truck driver was just as shocked when we told him there was a boy in the back seat,” Romero told PEOPLE. “The boy’s parents told us they were preparing to leave for the East Coast and that he had been playing Fortnight all night.”

Romero says he’s “never seen anything like this before.” “It was an honest mistake,” he says, adding: “Fortunately, because the master sergeant acted quickly and decisively, we were able to find the boy within twenty minutes and reunite him with his family.”

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Read the original article about People.