GQEBERHA – Police are warning parents that within a ‘blink of an eye’, a child could be snatched and kidnapped in seconds therefore it is of utmost importance that children are always kept within sight.

This warning comes after a one-year-old girl was snatched from a trolley at a cash and carry store in Cleary Park yesterday afternoon, 05 September 2022. It is alleged that at about 14:00 the child’s parents, aged 23 and 28 years, were shopping in the store. The child was seated in the trolley. While they were busy at the fridges and their backs to the trolley, it is alleged that a female walked up to the child, touched her and then walked away. Within seconds, another female snatched the child and also walked away.

When the father turned around and noticed the child was gone, he ran to the security at the door. As the security guard was about to close the doors, the first woman pointed out to the father that the child is with the second suspect. The women indicated that they were just joking with the parents. The suspects and the complainant do not know each other.

On Tuesday, 6 September 2022, the security at the cash and carry notified police that the suspects and the complainant are at their offices. Police attended and both suspects and complainants were brought to the police station and a case of kidnapping was opened.

The women, aged 51 and 56 years, are detained. The investigation continues.

Source: South African Police Service