A grandmother’s swift actions helped prevent the attempt at abduction of her grandchild at Seattle’s Pike Place Market, leading to the arrest of a 36-year-old man accused of attempting to seize the child from a stroller.
According to the Seattle Police Department, the incident unfolded shortly before 11:30 a.m. on July 9 in the busy downtown market, one of the city’s most popular tourist destinations.
Police said the suspect approached a mother, her 61-year-old mother, and a young child before complimenting the child. Moments later, investigators say he suddenly reached toward the stroller in an apparent attempt to grab the child.
The grandmother immediately intervened, kicking the suspect to create enough time for her daughter and grandchild to flee into a nearby business.
Authorities said the suspect followed them inside and allegedly made another attempt to reach the child before the child’s father arrived and helped stop any further contact.
After leaving the scene, the suspect was located by Seattle police later that afternoon and taken into custody.
He was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping and booked into the King County Jail.
The investigation remains ongoing.
