‘Bizarre’ child abduction attempt at High Park never happened: police

TORONTO — Police say an investigation into a “bizarre” alleged child abduction attempt at High Park has revealed it was simply a misunderstanding.

A post on a local parents’ Facebook page on the weekend described an alleged abduction incident involving a woman who was seen with a child when the boy’s father confronted her.

“They lost sight of their son for a minute and then couldn’t locate him in the playground area. The dad had the foresight to run out to the parking lot and saw their (almost) 4yr old son being dragged by the wrist by a strange woman,” the post read, adding the woman was “trying to pretend that the father was the abductor.”

But according to police, that never happened.

READ MORE: Woman sought in ‘bizarre’ attempted child abduction at High Park playground: police

On Tuesday, police announced they were looking for a person of interest in the case, and said Wednesday they had spoken to her and determined that no abduction attempt took place. The investigation is closed.

Local Councillor Sarah Doucette explained in a Facebook post that police told her a “Good Samaritan” had picked up the child after seeing him crying, and was walking around looking for his parents before being approached by the father.

“After a full investigation is appears that the child was crying after falling in the playground,” she wrote.

“The child is safe, the ‘suspect’ is cleared. I think this is a good reminder to parents when your children are playing in a park to always keep an eye on them. If they fall and are crying some concerned person may help them up.”