Police hunt killer of Heidelberg West toddler
LATEST: THE uncle of murdered tot Sanaya Sahib has urged other parents to remain vigilant while her “coward” killer remains at large, as it remains unclear if CCTV in the area was operational.
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THE uncle of murdered tot Sanaya Sahib has urged other parents to remain vigilant while her “coward” killer remains at large.
It comes as it remained unclear whether CCTV cameras in parkland near where Sanaya’s body was found were operational.
The 15-month-old girl was discovered dead in Darebin Creek in Heidelberg West at 2.45am yesterday.
Speaking to reporters outside his Heidelberg West home this afternoon, uncle Habib Ali said the family remained in a state of shock over the loss of beloved Sanaya, described as a “little angel.”
Mr Ali, a sales manager, said the family remained mystified by the callous abduction and murder.
“Whatever happened, she didn’t deserve it. She was a 15-month-old kid,” he said.
“We just don’t know why this has happened and whoever has done it.
“Shame on him. He’s a coward. He shouldn’t have done what he’s done.
“I would like to appeal to neighbours to be very, very careful with their kids. Don’t go out in the parks alone – be very, very careful when you go for a walk.”
Mr Ali said his sister, Sofina Nikat, was currently staying with social workers as she recovered from her nightmare ordeal.
He said she did not live at the Perth St address, but was visiting Mr Ali and his family at the weekend.
“She is coping but really shocked, she is crying a lot,” he said.
“She doesn’t know what’s going on, she’s in a hysterical state of mind. Half of her family is back in Fiji – they are all praying for her.
“We don’t know where she is but she is staying with social workers for safety reasons.”
Mr Ali, who has four children of his own, commended Victoria Police for their work in hunting his niece’s killer, describing a visit by forensic officers to his house yesterday as “routine”.
“They’re just doing their job, they didn’t take much away, just some clothing,” he said.
“I appreciate what the police are doing and pretty sure they will come to a conclusion and justice will be served.
“It is very frustrating and I hope that the person is caught as soon as possible and dealt with.”
Still coming to terms with his family’s loss, Mr Ali described Sanaya as a “very cute, very loving girl.”
“She didn’t deserve what happened to her, she was a very good girl,” he said.
“She was a little angel to be quite honest.
“I last saw her on Friday night when I fed her with my own hands.”
WERE CCTV CAMERAS WORKING?
It’s understood there are two CCTV cameras on a trail bridge crossing Darebin Creek, which may have been paid for by Darebin Council and the nearby Northland Shopping Centre.
But it is not known whether they were working on Saturday, when Ms Nikat said the child was taken from her pram by a shoeless man.
Darebin Council would not comment on what the cameras might have captured, if anything.
They have referred queries to Victoria Police.
Homicide detectives and forensic crews spent four hours searching the home of the murdered toddler last night.
Police remained at the Heidelberg West property, talking to family and checking discarded rubbish for any clues that may help in their investigations, up until just before 8pm.
Ms Nikat, 22, earlier told police that a shoeless stranger smelling of alcohol snatched her baby from her pram in Olympic Park, in Heidelberg West, just after 10am on Saturday.
Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane reassured worried locals that safety was a top priority.
“We’ve certainly got more police out in that area — out at Heidelberg and around the parks — today and probably for the rest of this week just to reassure the community that we are there and that we’re taking every step we can to keep the community safe,” Mr Leane told 3AW.
Police yesterday spent hours doorknocking neighbours of Mr Ali, with whom his sister had been staying. A number of homes in the area have CCTV cameras set up, and detectives were trying to get access to any footage that was recorded, which could hold vital clues.
In the early afternoon, Ms Nikat was helped into an unmarked police car in the company of homicide squad detectives and social workers.
Police stressed that Ms Nikat, who carried a small suitcase, was not being taken away for questioning but for “welfare reasons”.
Shortly afterwards, police and forensics officers arrived to start examining her brother’s property. Police said they were keeping all avenues of investigation open.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bailey earlier said the only suspect was the man that Ms Nikat said had pushed her from a park bench and snatched her daughter from the pram.
Police said they were hunting a man of African appearance. No other sightings of a kidnapper had been reported to police.
Ms Nikat told detectives she was attacked by a man who she noticed had been watching her and Sanaya as they sat on a park bench.
Sen-Sgt Bailey said Ms Nikat said she had noticed the man walking towards her about 10.10am.
“Once the child has been abducted, she (the mother) has chased the offender for a short period of time, realised she wasn’t making any ground there, so she has returned back home with the stroller and notified authorities there,” he said.
She had been in a distressed state, he said.
The man was described as being of African appearance, between the ages of 20 and 30, about 180cm tall, and wearing black pants, a black hooded zipper top. He wore no shoes and smelled heavily of liquor.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Melissa Seach said on Sunday night that police would not be releasing a computer-generated face image of the suspect.
Sen-Sgt Bailey said local parents in the area should be alert and mindful in whatever they do.
“This is obviously extremely concerning for Victoria Police, if this is a random abduction,” Sen-Sgt Bailey said.
“We think it’s completely random at this point in time.
“We need to be careful and alert, given what’s taken place at this present time.”
MORE: INNOCENCE GONE FROM FAMILY PARK
The little girl’s body was found by a family of four, including a child, who had joined the hunt after seeing a Facebook post requesting volunteers to help in the search.
The family — who had also lost a child in the past, who was later found alive and well — discovered the body of the toddler, partially submerged in the water, as they were walking along the western side of Darebin Creek.
“The mother and father are assisting police with their inquires,” Sen-Sgt Bailey said yesterday.
It was unclear on Sunday when Sanaya’s body was dumped in the creek.
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MUM TOO DISTRAUGHT TO SPEAK AFTER FIND
SANAYA Sahib has been remembered as “an angel” and a “good little girl” by her heartbroken family.
Family and friends rallied around each other on Sunday as police continued their investigations into the murder.
The family were struggling to come to grips with losing the 15-month-old girl in such horrific circumstances, one relative said.
Habib Ali, the older brother of Sanaya’s mother Sofina Nikat, said the family was devastated after the tragic discovery in Heidelberg West.
“She was a very cute, a very good little girl,” Mr Ali said.
“She was an angel. Sanaya didn’t deserve what happened to her.
“I remember she was always a very happy child.
“The police say it is suspicious. It is up to them now. Her mother is devastated.”
Ms Nikat was too distraught to talk.
She spent the day being comforted by the next door neighbour of her older brother before she left the property with detectives and social workers at 2.15pm.
The 22-year-old grieving mother struggled to walk and was supported on either side by the two social workers before getting into an unmarked police car.
Police said they were concerned for her welfare.
Several members of the family were ferried back and forth to Mr Ali’s house by detectives as investigators worked to piece together what happened to Sanaya.
Two younger men arrived at the house at 10.30am and were too upset to speak to the media.
Mr Ali arrived home shortly after and his wife was dropped off by detectives just before 2pm.
Ms Nikat’s Facebook shows pictures of the young mother with her smiling baby girl.
She lists her favourite quote as “Live life like there’s no tomorrow”.
Mr Ali told the Herald Sun his family had been supporting Ms Nikat after she had separated from her partner.
He said he first realised something was wrong when his sister returned from the morning walk she had been on with dirt on her clothing on Saturday.
“She came screaming and crying, she said, ‘Somebody’s snatched my baby’. She was mumbling, out of control.”
Ms Nikat told her uncle that she had been attacked by a man before he abducted her baby.
“He pushed her and she fell off the bench ... she fell to the ground,” Mr Ali said.
“The man unbuckled the pram, grabbed the baby and ran off towards the creek and the shopping centre.
“I believe her. It’s very frightening.”
Sanaya’s grandfather Sheraz Sahib thanked the people who found Sanaya’s body and read out a statement to media.
“Sanaya will be missed by us all. She was a beautiful child who has been taken from us too soon,” he said.
Even those who didn’t directly know Sanaya have been touched by the tragedy.
“She looked like a happy girl,” said Michelle, who knows Mr Ali.
“My heart just breaks for the little one and my heart just goes out for the aunt and uncle.”
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TIMELINE
SATURDAY
10am: Ms Nikat and Sanaya leave a home on Perth St, Heidelberg
10.10am: A man of African appearance, Ms Nikat said, follows the mother and daughter through Olympic Park before pushing Ms Nikat to the ground and running off with Sanaya. The man is believed to have crossed a Darebin Creek footbridge leading to the nearby Northland Shopping Centre. Ms Nikat runs home.
SUNDAY
2.45am: Sanaya’s body is found in Darebin Creek by four people searching together.
6.45am: Her parents are made aware of the discovery.
11am: Police warn a suspect could be on run. He is described as aged 20-30, of African appearance, 1.8m tall, wearing black pants and hooded zipper top, no shoes and smelling of liquor.
11.30am: Police remove the body.
3.40pm: Homicide detectives and a team of forensic investigators visit the Perth St address as Sanaya’s body is sent to Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.
* Editor’s note. Victoria Police have corrected the spelling of Sanaya’s surname to Sahib. It was earlier released as Shaib.
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