Suspect released without charge after car stolen with Perth boy inside

Police have been forced to release a man arrested over a car theft that sparked a major search for a two-year-old Perth boy.

The boy was inside the vehicle when it was snatched from outside a family’s under-construction home in Forrestfield just before midday yesterday.

The boy’s parents were just metres away when Holden Commodore was stolen.

After a frantic search, the child was found distressed but unharmed outside a nearby supermarket about 20 minutes later.

Two hours later, a man in his 20s was arrested in Maida Vale.

The suspect is believed to have fled on foot after dumping the damaged car in Gooseberry Hill.

The man was released from custody without charge this morning.

Police say they are still compiling evidence for their investigation.