Man (20s) arrested for attempting to kidnap toddler in Dublin city centre
Gardaí have arrested a male suspect in relation to an attempt to kidnap a two-year-old boy.
The Irish Independent understands the incident happened today around noon in the Sherriff St area of Dublin’s north inner city.
It is understood the man, who is his late 20s, tried to remove the child from a pram in the front garden of a home.
Locals immediately became aware of the incident and gardaí were alerted, who arrived on the scene shortly afterwards.
The man was arrested at the scene and is being held in Store St garda station
A local neighbour told how the distressed mother started screaming for help.
“The baby was in the pram in the garden and the mam was just in the house getting something. A man came and took the pram. He ran away. The mam started screaming for help and knocking on doors,” she told the Irish Independent.
Local councillor Nial Ring said he had been talking to people in Sheriff St.
He said: “Gardaí were on the scene in minutes.
“This is every parents worst nightmare. But thanks to the vigilance of the local people there something horrendous was prevented.”
A garda spokesman said: “Gardaí from Store Street responded to an incident in the Sheriff Street area of Dublin 1 shortly after 12 noon on Thursday, May 2nd, 2024.
” A man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested at the scene for an alleged offence under the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act, 1997, and is currently detained at a garda station in the Dublin Region under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
“An Garda Síochána is currently investigating and verifying the details of this incident.”
More to follow…
Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan’s exclusive take on the day’s news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.