What could have been just another case of carjacking turned into a surprising display of morality.

Earlier this week, a mother left her running car in the parking lot of a Salt Lake City motel so she could run into the lobby and check in to her room.

That's when 23-year-old Francisco Esmerado seized his chance and stole the vehicle.

As the carjacker was pulling out onto the interstate, however, he realized that he had stolen more than just the woman's car – her 12-year-old son was sitting in the back seat.

Instead of escaping, Esemerado flagged down a police cruiser, told the officer about his crime, and turned himself over so the child could be returned to his mother.

"We believe he was just trying to steal the vehicle and didn't know the kid was in there," Sgt. Brandon Shearer told The Salt Lake City Tribune.

Officers told the Miami Herald that Esemerado had stolen the car because he was "trying to get away" – but he did not tell police exactly who or what he was trying to escape.

Thankfully, the unharmed boy was reunited with his mother shortly after the carjacker turned himself in.

Click To Share The Story With Your Friends – Representative photo by An Errant Knight, CC