A man who stole a vehicle with a sleeping baby inside from a supermarket car park has been charged after allegedly dumping the child in a cardboard box.

The 32-year-old waited for the driver to enter the store in Shepparton, in rural Victoria, before jumping into the red Volkswagen with the 15-month-old sleeping inside, police say.

CCTV footage shows the man stopping the car after discovering the sleeping baby just after 2pm on November 14.

He was captured on camera picking up the baby before placing it in a box in the car park.

The female victim returned and found the child, who was not physically injured, before raising the alarm.

The stolen car was found the next day in the nearby town of Mooroopna.

Police arrested the alleged offender in central Shepparton on Friday afternoon.

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