Vangate Mall kidnapping attempt foiled: Man arrested for trying to snatch five-year-old girl

A man who allegedly attempted to kidnap a five-year-old girl by snatching her from her mother while shopping at Vangate Mall was arrested on Saturday.

According to reports, the mom and the minor girl were walking at the mall when the suspect attempted to pull the girl away.

Her father then stepped in to rescue his five-year-old daughter. After the incident, the suspect allegedly ran over to Shoprite located across the mall to hide from angry people who said "we will kill you".

Footage shows a mob gathering around the police van that held the man, making threats and shouting at him.

A 30-year-old male suspect was arrested and was placed under police guard at a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

It is alleged that he acted along with other accomplices, as video shows police holding another man in front of the Shoprite, while another clip shows the same man being led to a black police van.

However, police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed just one arrest.

He said: "On Saturday morning at approximately 10.30 am a mom was walking with her five-year-old daughter at a shopping mall in Athlone, holding her hand when an unidentified male came and tried to pull the child away from her.

"A tug of war ensued when the dad of the child saw this he intervened. A case of attempted kidnapping has been opened.

"The parents and child received counselling at Athlone Victim Support room."

Meanwhile, founder of the Western Cape Missing Persons Unit Candice van der Rheede advised that, given it is festive season and malls are expected to be busy, children should be kept at home.

Van der Rheede told the Cape Argus' sister newspaper, the Daily Voice: "People need to be aware and alert and know their children's location at all times.

"Even if your child is playing outside in front of your house there needs to be adult supervision, because it takes a split second to take a child and run off."

"It can take them a few minutes to run off and to get out of the area and you will not see your child ever again.

"When you do go to the malls try not to take your little ones with you, because they become agitated and walk off and the malls are busy so you can't keep track of them all the time.

"If you can, leave them at home with somebody that you trust. If you can't and they need to go with you, your eyes will have to be on them all the time. They have to be supervised."

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Cape Argus