Attempted abduction of toddler was just couple trying to help: police

Vancouver Police say they now believe that an abduction attempt at International Village Mall on February 1 was just a case of someone trying to help.

Police had issued a release Thursday looking for a man and woman who were spotted leading a toddler away at the mall during Chinese New Year celebrations.

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Police now say that after reviewing surveillance video, they have determined that the man and woman thought the toddler was lost, and were just trying to help by taking the child to mall security.

Police say that when the family went to retrieve the toddler from the man and woman, a language barrier prevented the group from communicating.

“These types of situations are tough,” says Sergeant Randy Fincham of the Vancouver Police. “We always try to err on the side of caution and alert the public as soon as possible. Thankfully, in this case, it appears there was no attempted abduction.”