2 children rescued after mom chases carjacking suspect in N. Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- As the smell of roasting turkey and cornbread wafted through the Garcia family home, little Aiden and Chloe Garcia danced with their cousin in the living room. It may be a typical Thanksgiving scene in many homes, but the Garcias almost didn't have a Thanksgiving at all.

Late Thanksgiving Eve, Blanca Garcia, her children, and their Aunt Amy Garcia were piled into the family truck, en route to pick up their grandmother from work. Short on gas, the sisters and the kids stopped at the Exxon gas station along the North Freeway and Main Street.

A friend was driving in to bring the sisters some cash to get gas. That's when the unthinkable happened.

As the sisters walked across the gas station to pick up the money from their friend, a stranger jumped into the truck, with the kids inside.

"My kids were in there, I didn't want anything bad to happen to them," said Blanca through her tears.

Immediately both sisters grabbed onto the truck.

"I was holding on to the steering wheel to the truck and trying to grab him. And I was screaming, 'My kids are in there, my kids are in there!'"

Unable to hold on, the Garcia sisters next jumped in their friends' car, and gave chase. At 19th Street and Sheldon, the carjacker dropped off the two kids in the middle of the street. The sisters scooped them up, and continued. Eventually, the carjacker ran into a ditch at 20th and T.C. Jester. He took off, getting away with freshly purchases presents and the sisters' wallets that were in the truck.

"At the time when we were chasing them, I didn't think it was crazy at all," said Amy Garica. "Because if they just got away with the kids and we wouldn't have done nothing. My job as their aunt is to protect them."

The sisters say they are in the processing of buying new presents for the kids. They will also figure out a way to get a running car so they can get to work. However, neither has any regrets. They are just glad to have Aiden and Chloe safe. The family is ready to celebrate Thanksgiving.