Cleo Smith: Neighbours tell of ‘quiet man’ buying nappies at Woolies

Neighbours of the man who is in custody following Cleo Smith’s discovery have revealed his movements before his dramatic arrest.

It was a simple tip off late on Tuesday that led to the rescue of missing four-year-old Cleo Smith — whose disappearance had stopped the nation in its tracks.

Within a couple hours, officers were deployed to act on the new information, arriving at a low-set unassuming Carnarvon home, minutes drive from the local cop station.

Police broke into the locked home to find Cleo alone, more than two weeks since she disappeared into thin air in the wee hours on October 16, after her mother had woken to give her some water to drink at 1.30am.

Western Australia Deputy Police Commission Col Blanch said police had acted quickly after receiving the tip, breaking into the property at 12.46am.

“Intelligence led them to that house. They went into that house, Cleo was in the house alone,” he said.

“It was an extraordinary moment this morning when the police asked her name and she answered back in a little voice, ‘My name is Cleo’,” he said. “I don't think you’d have a dry eye in the house when you hear that.”

WA Deputy Police Commissioner Col Blanch. Picture: WA Police

The successful mission, said to be the biggest in Western Australia’s history, was enough to bring some of Australia’s most senior police to tears.

“I know from the Commissioner, Chris Dawson, we have all had tears in our eyes this morning,” Mr Blanch told Sunrise.

“I have seen bags under the eyes of our analysts and specialists for almost three weeks now working on this case. It is a massive outpouring of relief by them.”

“WA police phones, including mine, started ringing hot and we were just sitting there in shock for a good 15, 20 minutes and then we just got into action and did what we needed to do”.

Man spotted buying nappies

While the exact information within the tip off that led to the arrest is not yet known, neighbours have shared details of what they had witnessed leading up to the arrest.

Neighbours described seeing a man continually drive up and down the street of the lower socio economic area she was found in.

A portion of the media release announcing Cleo had been found. Picture: Supplied

A young man, whose aunt lived around the corner, described seeing the man who lived at the home at a supermarket just days ago.

“I think it was Monday we saw him in Woolworths buying nappies and that but we didn't click on who it was or what he was buying them for, who was buying for but, until now,” he said.

The same man witnessed the arrest overnight.

A neighbour of the arrested man talks to Sunrise. Picture: Channel Seven

“We stood back and waited but after that, we saw someone, on the detective’s shoulder. We thought it might be the little girl, which it was. I went closer to the detective’s car and I saw her in the back of the car with the Detective, he was holding her,” he said.

Sahntayah McKenzie recalled how she heard a little girl crying one night, but did not think anything of it at the time.

“Not last night, the night before it… I heard a little girl crying but I wouldn’t expect it to be Cleo,” she told the West Australian.

“I didn’t expect it would happen in this little neighbourhood, a lot of people know each other.”

‘Police never gave up on Cleo’

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller confirmed on 2GB on Wednesday he had spoken with his WA counterpart Mr Dawson overnight.

“When he got the call this morning he broke down and cried. That speaks volumes,” he said. “I thought the chances of finding her alive were so slim.

“He said to me, ‘West Australian Police never gave up on Cleo’. It was good old fashioned police work that resulted in her being found alive.”

Mr Blanch has refused to relay much information about the man taken into custody following Cleo’s rescue. It is known that he is 36 years old.

Police outside Carnarvon house where Cleo Smith was found. Picture: 9News

“I've got to be clear about this, it’s still very early in the investigation,” he said. “There has been a massive amount of work by the police, community and volunteers from day one. We have trawled through so much information and I’ve got to say, it is the ground work, the skilled intelligence work, the officers work that led to this outcome. I don‘t want to point out anyone in particular. It was just excellent work.”

“I think it is the greatest moment of every West Australian police officers career. It is something that we hope for in our hearts and it has come true and again for Ellie and Jake and the whole community, it is amazing,” he said.

Police search the area where Cleo disappeared. Picture: Supplied