‘It was the longest two minutes of my life.’

A Townsville mother has relived the most terrifying moment of her life after her family car was stolen from her driveway with her two-month-old baby still asleep in the back seat.

Speaking on Sunrise on Tuesday, Sarah opened up about the ordeal, saying that while it lasted just a few minutes, it felt like a lifetime.

Sarah was cleaning her Isuzu MU-X in the driveway of her Garbutt home on Monday afternoon while her daughter slept in a car seat when six youths allegedly jumped into the vehicle and drove off as part of a convoy.

Sarah sprinted after the car, screaming that her baby was inside, helplessly watching as it sped away.

“It was the longest two minutes of my life waiting for that car to turn around and drop her off,” Sarah said.

“As a mum, you’re obviously expecting the absolute worst. You see what happens to the vehicles here and your mind goes to some pretty crazy places.

“They can take the car; cars are replaceable, but to know that my baby was in that vehicle when they’re so erratic was the most frightening couple of minutes of my life.”

Neighbour’s security footage captured the moments before the alleged theft, showing the group parked up the street before sneaking around a boat at the front of the property.

While Sarah was at the rear of the vehicle, they allegedly jumped in and drove away

Then, in an extraordinary turn of events, the car returned moments later.

The offenders allegedly removed the baby, still strapped into her car seat, and placed her carefully on the kerb before driving off again.

“She was still asleep,” Sarah said.

Overcome with adreneline, Sarah stood in front of the stolen vehicle, face to face with the young offenders.

“I asked them, I said, why are you doing this? This is my family car. We work hard for this and I need this,” she recalled.

“And they said, ‘Because we’re bad guys’.”

The group returned Sarah’s phone when she asked for it, before driving around her and fleeing.

Despite the danger, Sarah said fear never entered her mind.

“Mother’s instincts kicked in,” she said.

Neighbours quickly rallied around the young family, with one resident jumping into his own car to pursue the convoy while others called police.

Sarah has been left shaken by the ordeal, saying she and her fiancé don’t want the car back.

The two-month-old girl was physically unharmed and remarkably slept through the entire ordeal.

While grateful her daughter was returned safely, Sarah said the incident highlights a wider youth crime problem confronting North Queensland communities.

“Every second person has had a car stolen, or they’ve been broken into. They get out, and they’re just back on the road,” she said.

“It’s not just myself; it’s everybody: the people that are on the road, the people that are scared to drive around the roads because of these drivers. We shouldn’t have to live in fear like that.”

Sarah is now calling for tougher penalties for repeat young offenders, saying families should not have to live with the constant fear of becoming victims.

“It’s not just me; I’m talking on behalf of so many Townsvillians who go through this daily. There needs to be something implemented, some harsher laws. It makes it really fearful and scary,” she said.

Ten charged as police recover multiple stolen vehicles

Sarah’s ordeal is the latest in a string of alleged vehicle thefts and youth crime incidents that have left many Townsville residents frustrated and fearful.

Queensland Police said the investigation into the alleged theft quickly expanded overnight, with officers recovering seven stolen vehicles and arresting 10 people as part of a coordinated operation across the city.

Police allege a number of stolen vehicles were being driven around Townsville before officers deployed tyre deflation devices, disabling five vehicles and leading to multiple arrests.

Eight teenagers and two adults have since been charged with a combined 19 offences, including numerous counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle. Investigations remain ongoing to determine any links between those arrested and the alleged Garbutt incident.