WATCH: A young mother was walking in a suburban Toronto neighbourhood Thursday night when there was an attempt to snatch her 20-month-old child. What’s most shocking about the incident is that the suspects are children themselves. Jennifer Tryon reports
TORONTO – A pre-teen girl and a teenage boy have been charged with abduction and assault after they allegedly tried to snatch a woman’s baby from her arms in Toronto’s east-end late Thursday evening.
Toronto police say the incident happened in a “quiet residential area” around 11 p.m. when the woman was walking to her parents’ home near the Guildwood GO station.
Toronto Police Inspector Art Little said the 29-year-old mother heard footsteps behind her before she was allegedly attacked.
Police say the pair kicked and punched the woman, knocking her to the ground and allegedly said, “give us your money and give us your baby.”
Little said the woman fought and took back her baby.
The teenage suspects, a 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, were reportedly trying to steal the 29-year-old mother’s backpack when she was attacked.
Both suspects were arrested following a short police pursuit and are currently facing charges of abduction of a person under 14, assault, robbery and uttering threats.
“This is a very alarming situation for having the effort to abduct a child,” Little said. “The fact that it was committed allegedly at this time by a 12-year-old female suspect and a 14-year-old is a major cause for concern.”
Police said the 14-year-old is known to police and was additionally charged with two counts of breach of recognizance and two counts of fail to comply – undertaking.
Police say the stolen items were all recovered.
Little said the two youths were allegedly also involved in another robbery early on Thursday of a 38-year-old woman walking near the Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue East area. The two suspects allegedly grabbed the victim and pulled her to the ground. They then removed the woman’s purse slung around her neck.
Neither the boy nor the girl can be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
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