A Texas father of two who left his daughters in a parked car outside his apartment while he ran inside to drop off some groceries returned to find his car had been towed away — with his girls still inside.

Victor Ruiz left his car in a No Parking Zone outside Avery Apartments on West Gulf Bank Road in Houston thinking he would only be a minute.

But a minute was all it took for a tow truck driver to roll up and haul his car away.

It took the driver two miles to realize there were children inside the vehicle, at which point he phoned the police to report Ruiz.

The young dad was subsequently arrested and charged with two count of abandoning a child.

A witness at the scene was shocked at learning of Ruiz's arrest, asking Local 2, "How did he abandon a child if a whole bunch of people (were) around watching his car?"

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[screengrab via Local 2]