The eight-year-old child was waiting in the vehicle as his mother went inside Pizza Hut to pick up a food order.

As the child waited in the car, an unknown person, described as a black male with short hair and goatee, who was wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt, approached the vehicle.

The man opened the door while the child struggled to keep it closed, the police department said in a press release.

The man overpowered the child and opened the door, telling the boy his name was Mike and he was a friend of his mother’s.

He hugged the child and grabbed the pocketbook and cell phone, fleeing on foot.

It is unknown whether the person’s name is actually Mike.

Police declined immediate comment this morning on other ramifications of the case.

Anyone with information or who was in the area of Pizza Hut on the evening of April 23 is encouraged to call the police department at 252-326-3941 or Halifax County Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.