Seattle car thief sparks citywide AMBER alert: 3-year-old found safe, suspect still at large

It was a heart-stopping hour in Seattle on Thursday evening after a car thief sped off with a 3-year-old girl still strapped inside, triggering a citywide AMBER Alert and a frantic search that gripped the community and law enforcement alike.

The incident unfolded around 5:30 p.m. in the White Center neighborhood, when the child’s mother stepped inside her house for just a moment, leaving her gray 2021 Volkswagen Atlas running on 9th Avenue SW. In that brief window, a suspect—described by deputies as a Black man wearing a rainbow scarf—jumped behind the wheel and drove off with the little girl, Tavaea Dixon, still in the back seat.



Within minutes, police issued an AMBER Alert, broadcasting the child’s description and the vehicle’s license plate across the region. The alert galvanized the community, with residents and officers scouring the area for any sign of the missing car or child. Tavaea, described as 3 feet tall and weighing around 50 pounds, was last seen in orange shorts and an orange zip-up jacket.

The break came less than an hour later. Deputies located the stolen Volkswagen abandoned near 6th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 102nd Street. Inside, they found Tavaea Dixon asleep and unharmed in her car seat. The Washington State Patrol promptly canceled the AMBER Alert at 6:50 p.m., and the relieved family was reunited with their daughter.

While the child’s safe recovery brought relief, the suspect remains at large as of Friday morning. The King County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about the man or the incident to come forward. Authorities also used the opportunity to remind the public of a crucial safety tip: always turn off and lock your car, even for the briefest errands, to prevent opportunistic crimes.