Police search for middle-aged female suspect who fled chaotic scene outside public toilet
CLIFFORD.LO@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Monday, 18 April, 2016, 4:02pm
The momentary abduction took place on Hong King Street in Yuen Long. Photo: Google
A ponytailed middle-aged woman is being hunted by local police in connection with a suspected child abduction case over the weekend.
Police said the heavyset woman, measuring about 1.6 metres in height, was wearing a pink-coloured top and dark-coloured trousers when the incident happened outside a public toilet on Hong King Street in Yuen Long at about 4.30pm on Saturday.
“A middle-aged woman suddenly approached and grabbed an 18-month girl and then tried to leave the scene,” a police spokesman said.
He said the girl’s mother, 25, immediately stopped the woman, who was subdued with the help of two male passers-by at the scene.
“The girl’s mother [bundled up] her daughter to leave the scene and did not file a report with police right away,” the spokesman said.
Police said the toddler suffered scratches on her shoulder.
It was understood that the woman managed to escape during a chaotic scene. According to police, the Cantonese-speaking Chinese woman was thought to be between 40 and 50 years old and had long curly hair and a ponytail.
The case came to light when the girl’s mother filed a report at Yuen Long police station around midday on Sunday.
The police spokesman said no child abduction cases had been recently reported. The force was “very concerned” about the case and assigned the Yuen Long district crime squad to investigate, he said.
For the time being, the case is being treated as a suspected child abduction. No arrests have yet been made.
Police appealed to witnesses and anyone with information to contact officers on 3661 4643 or 3661 4700.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1936865/attempted-abduction-18-month-old-hong-kong-girl-foiled
