Man Steals Car During Baby’s Birth

We may have our earliest — and most aggressively unqualified — Dad of the Year candidate, and the wild part is this: he technically wasn’t even a dad yet.

According to police in eastern Kentucky, a 37-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stealing his ex-girlfriend’s car while she was actively giving birth to his child.

Yes. During labor.
At the hospital.
With contractions happening.

The incident unfolded last Friday in Pikeville, a small Appalachian town near the Virginia border.

The woman went into labor and was admitted to the hospital. Her ex-boyfriend, identified by police as Christopher Mollette, showed up hoping to be present for the birth. Hospital staff, citing visitation policies, told him he couldn’t come inside.

At that point, most reasonable people would’ve done one of three things:

Instead, the expectant mother tried to accommodate him. She told Mollette he could wait outside in her car and handed him the keys, assuming he’d sit tight until the baby arrived.

He agreed.

Then he disappeared.

Hospital security cameras later showed exactly what happened next.

Footage reportedly shows Mollette getting into the passenger seat first — like someone settling in to wait. But moments later, he exits the vehicle, walks around to the other side, gets into the driver’s seat, and drives off.

Not to get coffee.
Not to run an errand.
Not to cool off.

He left town.

As the woman remained in labor inside the hospital, the car — her car — was gone.

At some point, she realized something was very wrong and called Mollette to ask where her vehicle was.

According to police, his response was blunt and unreal given the circumstances.

He told her it was “none of her business” and hung up.

This was not a misunderstanding.
This was not a delay.
This was a decision.

Once the car was reported stolen, law enforcement began searching for Mollette. They didn’t have to look long.

The next day, officers located him about 30 miles from the hospital, still driving the stolen vehicle. He was taken into custody without incident.

Mollette now faces multiple charges, including:

And according to authorities, this wasn’t his first run-in with the law.

Court records show Mollette has a prior criminal history, including several arrests. One of those arrests was for possession of methamphetamine, adding context — though not justification — to the behavior.

Police have not indicated that drugs played a role in this specific incident, but the history paints a picture of someone with a pattern of poor judgment.

Car thefts happen every day. Relationship drama is nothing new. But this case struck a nerve because of when it happened.

There’s a universal expectation that when a child is being born — even if the parents are no longer together — everything else stops. You wait. You show up. You don’t create chaos.

This was the one moment where doing nothing was the correct move.

Instead, police say Mollette chose the most selfish option possible.

He didn’t just leave the hospital.
He didn’t just take a car.
He didn’t just ignore a phone call.

He allegedly abandoned his partner during labor, stole her only transportation, dismissed her concerns, and drove off — all before his child was even born.

Authorities have not released additional details about the mother or the newborn, and their privacy is being protected. There’s no indication of medical complications related to the incident.

The vehicle was recovered. Mollette is in custody. The legal process will play out.

But some consequences don’t require a judge.

This story spread fast because it’s not just about crime — it’s about character.

Some people spend years proving they’re not ready for parenthood.
Others manage to do it in a single afternoon.

And in this case, the bar wasn’t even high.

All he had to do was sit in the car.