Terrifying moment mum busted would-be child snatcher in Harkness
A traumatised mum has opened up on the moment a family bike ride turned into a terrifying ordeal, when a man attempted to abduct her young daughter. The little girl was moments from being dragged off the footpath while riding her bike.
Police & Courts
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A horrified mum watched as a stranger tried to abduct her two-year-old daughter during a family bike ride in Melbourne’s outer west.
Rebekah, who did not want her surname published, was dropping her kids Keirah, 2, and Brodie, 5, at childcare in Harkness, near Melton, when the nightmare unfolded on Tuesday morning.
Keirah was riding her bike and had fallen slightly behind her mum and brother as they rode along Weeks Rd about 9.20am.
Rebekah turned to check on her daughter and was shocked to discover a man had grabbed her and was dragging her from the path.
“I stopped and turned around and noticed the man grab my daughter by the arm and drag her,” Rebekah told the Herald Sun.
The mum furiously peddled toward the man, who let go of Keirah and fled.
“By the time I got to her he was running off. I made sure she was okay … she said her arm was hurting from where he grabbed her and I watched him run off,” Rebekah said.
The would-be child snatcher is still at large.
Police have described him as African in appearance, aged in his 20s and wearing dark clothing, a baseball cap and no mask.
Detective Acting Senior Sergeant David Leveridge said the incident is being treated as “extremely serious”.
Police believe it was an isolated attack and have ramped up patrols in the area.
“We are concerned about the behaviour… until we speak to the person concerned we have to treat it as extremely serious,” Sen Sgt Leveridge said.
Rebekah said her daugther was deeply traumatised by the ordeal and urged the offender to “hand yourself in”.
“Keirah is very scared. She struggled to sleep last night and was scared a man would come get her,” Rebekah said
“I am also very scared and sad. I keep thinking what would have happened if he had taken her.
“You just don’t believe something like that could happen to your own child.”
Brodie witnessed the incident and made a statement to police.
“He was very brave,” his mum said.
Detectives from Melton Crime Invesitgation Unit are investigating the attempted kidnapping and have obtained security footage of the suspect.
Rebekah said the incident was a nightmare she never wishes to relive and urged parents to never let their children out of their sight.
“Keep your kids by your side at all times,” she said.
Anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au
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