Suspect arrested in brazen attempt to snatch baby from stroller

Police in Glendale, Calif. have arrested a 52-year-old woman in connection with at least one of two alleged kidnapping attempts on Wednesday.

Lisa Arnold was arrested early Friday morning, two days after the failed abductions took place.

“We’re fairly confident it is the same suspect,” Sgt. Robert William with the Glendale Police Department told KTLA. “This is not something that happens regularly in Glendale.”

The first alleged kidnapping was captured on a security camera Wednesday; a woman dressed in heavy winter clothing approaches a mother pushing a stroller at a busy intersection and tells the her the baby is “cute” as she tries to pick up the infant.

READ MORE: Boy escapes kidnapper, gets to safety by calling dad on smartwatch

The suspect then attempted to unbuckle the baby before a struggle ensued. The woman eventually gave up and fled to a silver 2014-16 Nissan Versa Note, and was recorded speeding away from the scene.

Police say about 20 minutes later not far from the initial attempted kidnapping, a second botched child abduction was reported.

Police said the suspect pulled up in a vehicle and approached another mother and her two children outside a local elementary school, picked up the woman’s two-year-old son and again was reported as saying “he’s so cute.”

According to police, the mother hit the suspect to try and stop them. The suspect again retreated to a silver sedan and drove away.

There was confusion as to whether the second abduction was carried out by a male or female.

The woman’s eight-year-old son, who made the initial 911 call to report the failed snatching, described the suspect as a woman with a man’s voice.

The boy’s mother contradicted that description when she told police the suspect was a man in his late 40’s or 50’s, with salt-and-pepper hair, and facial hair.

The timing is significant as California schools returned from summer break on Monday.

“We want our parents, as well as our adults on campus, to exercise vigilance,” Glendale Unified Supt. Winfred Roberson Jr. told the Los Angeles Times.