SALEM — Three Nashua residents were arrested on Wednesday on theft and drug charges for allegedly stealing baby formula and leaving a 3-year-old girl and an 18-month-old girl in a car with a syringe loaded with heroin, police said.

Police were called to Target at 205 S. Broadway at 4:43 p.m. following a report that three people had stolen seven canisters of baby formula and fled in a blue Honda.

Jose Ramos, 38, and Francis Sarson, 49, both of Nashua, had hidden the baby formula — valued at $100 — in a diaper bag, police said.

Ashley Baga, 24, of Nashua acted as a lookout during the theft, police said. Loss prevention workers told police they saw the trio flee with two children in the car. Officers found the vehicle in the Kmart parking lot nearby.

Two girls, an 18-month-old and 3-year-old, were found in the car by police when the vehicle was pulled over, police said.

An open container of beer was spotted in the back seat next to one of the children, and neither child was buckled into their car seat, police said.

Police also found a cylindrical screw top container attached to Baga's keychain that had an assortment of nonprescribed pills inside, police said.

All three were then taken into custody and held overnight, pending arraignment in 10th Circuit Court in Salem.

Police officers transported the two children to the police station, where a dispatcher on duty cared for, cleaned and fed them, according to Deputy Police Chief Shawn Patten. The state Division for Children, Youth and Families was contacted by police. The children, whose parents are Baga and Ramos, were later brought to a foster home, police said.

Ramos was charged with driving after revocation, theft, endangering the welfare of a child and not utilizing required child restraints. Sarson was charged with willful concealment, possession of a controlled drug, endangering the welfare of a child and open container.

Baga was charged with criminal liability for conduct of another, possession of controlled drug and endangering the welfare of a child.