A child who was been kidnapped from Springs by a family member was found at a hotel in Hillbrow on Wednesday.
A two-year-old boy and six-year-old girl were kidnapped by the girl’s mother (46) from a place of safety on Tuesday.
According to Hi5Kids Recovery Unit founder Barries Barnard, this is the fourth time the accused allegedly kidnapped the six-year-old girl, who is her daughter.
He says the accused was recently found guilty of kidnapping and received a five-year suspended sentence in the Springs Regional Court.
“Hotel staff heard the boy’s cries in a hotel room and found him alone, but there was no trace of the accused or the girl.
“The accused booked the room under a false name,” says Barnard.
He heard the boy was found when the Hillbrow police phoned him.
“I immediately called SAPS investigating officer W/O Tracy Wentzel and the mother of the boy and we went to the Hillbrow police station,” he says.
A case of child abandonment has been opened at the Hillbrow police station.
Barnard is amazed by the positive response of the community since Hi5Kids printer out a flyer when the children were taken.
“Positive information received from people all over South Africa makes finding missing children easier,” says Barnard.
He says the combined efforts between the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) K9 dog unit, Brixton Flying Squad, Pretoria Flying Squad, Tsakane SAPS, Springs SAPS, Hillbrow SAPS, W/O Wentzel, a Benoni tactical company, Wild Wild Guardians, technical support from the South African Community Crime Watch (SACCW), a non-profit organisation, Duma tactical team and HI5Kids Recovery Unit task team, makes operations such as this one possible.
“Although the accused is streetwise, with the help of these organisations, we managed to get the six-year-old girl back after each previous kidnapping.
“The accused must know that we will not leave any stone unturned until we find the girl,” he says.
Meanwhile, it is also alleged the accused took a Datsun 1200 bakkie.
A case of child abandonment was opened at the Hillbrow police station, but the Springs police are also investigating a case of theft of a motor vehicle and kidnapping.
