Suspect arrested for kidnapping in uMhlanga
The suspect was identified as a security guard who was on duty at the mall and he was promptly arrested.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on Thursday and charged with kidnapping after snatching a two-year-old child from a trolley at a shopping mall in uMhlanga. The suspect will be appearing in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday after he was arrested by Durban North police.
According to KZN police spokesperson, Brigadier Jay Naicker the incident occurred at about 3pm.
“The grandmother(57) was with her grandson (2) at a shopping mall in uMhlanga making a purchase when an unknown man picked up her grandson who was sitting in the trolley and walked away. When the petrified grandmother found that the child was taken she began running in the mall frantically screaming out for him. She then spotted the man attired in a security guard’s uniform walking into one of the shops with her grandson.
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“She grabbed the child from the man’s arms and reported the incident to the mall management who contacted police. Police officers from the Durban North police station arrived at the scene and viewed the CCTV footage at the mall. The suspect was immediately identified as a security guard who was on duty at the mall and he was promptly arrested. A case of kidnapping was opened at Durban North police station for investigation,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula commended police for swiftly arresting the suspect.
“We are appealing to parents and guardians to always keep an eye on their children especially during this peak festive period. At this stage we do not know what the suspects intentions were but this incident once again highlights the need for us to remain vigilant at all times. We wish to applaud the grandmother for taking immediate action and informing authorities of the incident,” he said.
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