Police in Washington state Wednesday announced an arrest in the case of a baby who was snatched out of his stroller by a shadowy figure who left the tot behind when the child's siblings ran after him.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said a 15-year-old boy has been arrested on charges of second-degree kidnapping. The suspect is being held in a juvenile facility and is not being named by authorities, the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The 22-month-old boy was grabbed from a stroller Sunday in a public park in the city of Sprague.
"The suspect was reported to have entered the park and began a casual conversation with a 10-year-old male and 8-year-old female before grabbing a 22-month-old child from a stroller and fleeing on foot," the sheriff's office said.
The two young siblings ran after the would-be abductor, screaming, until he left the baby behind and ran off, according to witnesses and police.
The children were under the care of a babysitter at the time, but they were playing unattended in the park in the tiny town of about 500 people.
Witnesses told NBC station KHQ of Spokane that they saw the children running and called 911 for help after realizing what had happened.
Police said Wednesday that over the last 24 hours, Lincoln County detectives had focused on a suspect who lives in Sprague. After additional evidence, interviews and DNA were gathered and surveillance was conducted, a search warrant was executed at the suspect's home, they said. A photo montage was also used, and one of the siblings positively identified the suspect, police said.
