[VIDEO] Man With Mental Illness Arrested For Trying To Kidnap 7-Year-Old Child
The seven-year-old victim was safe thanks to the quick action of members of the public who noticed the man behaving suspiciously.
By Sabrina Zainal — 12 May 2022, 04:49 PM
Several videos, including dashcam footage, caught the moment a man tried to kidnap a child near a fast food restaurant in Pasir Gudang, Johor
In the incident at about 11.30am yesterday, 11 May, the victim, a seven-year-old boy was said to be walking home by himself from Taman Scientex Religious School to his family home.
Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the victim was approached by a 20-year-old man who offered to take the boy home on a Honda Dash motorcycle, reported Utusan Malaysia.
He added that the child had refused to ride the motorcycle before the suspect grabbed him and took him away.
Based on dash cam footage, members of the public who were nearby noticed the man acting suspiciously and immediately called the police
One motorist even followed the suspect and the boy to a fast food restaurant across the street from where they were first spotted.
The driver then stops beside them and confronts him, asking who he is and whether the child is his.
The suspect can be heard saying the boy doesn't have parents and refusing to take the child to the police station when the driver tells him to do so.
Meanwhile, the child can be heard sobbing while saying he does have parents in the background.
Realising he might get caught, the alleged kidnapper tries to flee with the child
By then, several more passersby surrounded them and apprehended the man.
"The suspect also acted aggressively before he was detained by civilians who were at the scene and was handed over to the crime prevention patrol police team who arrived at the scene," Kamarul Zaman added in a statement.
The individual is reportedly a person with mental disabilities (OKU) card holder and results from his urine test found that he was also positive for methamphetamine
He said the suspect was also wanted by the police to assist in the investigation of the case.
The case is being investigated under Section 363 of the Penal Code for kidnapping and under Section 15 (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
The Johor police chief also advised parents and guardians to be wary of suspicious situations to prevent untoward incidents.
