(08/29/06) ROCKVILLE CENTRE ? A carjacker got more than he bargained for Tuesday when he stole an SUV with three young children inside.

The owner of the stolen Nissan Pathfinder, Louis Mejias, says the incident took place when he left his kids in the car to quickly run into a deli on Lakeview Avenue. When he came out, his car and his children were gone. Mejias says the thief worked quickly as he wasn?t in the deli for very long.

One of Mejias? children, 13-year-old Louis Jr., says his sister began screaming when the carjacker entered the vehicle. When the thief realized there were children in the car, he turned into Malverne High School and told the kids to get out. The children were later found safe at the high school by family members. Although the stolen car hasn?t been recovered, Mejias says he?s just happy to have his kids back safe.