Houston, Tex. police are investigating a possible attempted abduction after a man was caught on camera removing a baby from a shopping cart without the mother’s permission.
Florence Monauer said she’s seeking justice after an unknown man tried to kidnap her child on Oct. 15 while at a grocery store.
Monauer said she had her back turned for a moment when a stranger approached her 14-month-old daughter.
“I think I was distracted for about a minute or so,” Monauer told NBC affiliate, KPRC news.
Monauer claimed she didn’t hear the man walk up to her cart. Instead, it was the sound of fabric from her daughter’s baby cover that caught her attention.
“I think that if it weren’t for the cover, he probably would’ve made off with her quickly,” Monauer told KPRC. “I couldn’t hear a thing.”
Surveillance video showed the suspect taking the girl out of the cart. And, according to Monauer, he only directed his attention to the child and didn’t speak to Monauer once.
Footage also showed the suspect eventually handing the child back to Monauer and leaving the store without any purchases.
“I think this was an attempted kidnapping and I want him to answer for it,” said Monauer. “It gave me chills just thinking that this could’ve happened to my child and it may happen to someone else. I definitely want him to get caught.”
Police have described the man as white, male, 6’1’’, believed to be in his 50s and speaks with an accent.