Aurora police recover stolen car with toddler's Christmas presents still in it

The quick recovery of a stolen car is being credited with saving a toddler's Christmas bounty in Aurora.

"'The officer who saved Christmas:' It's got a nice ring to it, for sure," officer Jason Sheldon told NBC 5 Chicago Friday.

According to an Aurora police news release, a woman had left her car running, unattended and unlocked, around 10 a.m. Nov. 26 on the 1800 block of Tall Oaks Drive. The trunk contained presents for her child.

When she came back out 5 to 10 minutes later, the car was gone. She called police.

Five minutes after police arrived, Sheldon, a patrol officer, saw the car at New York Street and Broadway. He stopped it and arrested the driver.

Tandre J. Felix, 18, of the 700 block of Concord Street in Aurora, has been charged with unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and driving on a suspended license.

He is being held in the Kane County jail. Bail was set at $100,000, meaning he needs to post $10,000 to be released before trial. His next court date is Dec. 20.

According to Kane County court records, Felix began two years' of probation Nov. 16 on a charge of possession of a controlled substance, stemming from an Oct. 21 arrest in Aurora. He was also sentenced to 54 days in jail but given credit for the 27 days he had spent awaiting trial. He also pleaded guilty to resisting a peace officer and criminal trespass to a residence.