A man's attempt to snatch a baby from her mother was foiled when the little baby cried to call her mum's attention.
She didn't notice him
The baby's mother, Florence Monauer, said that she didn't even notice the man until her baby, Emery, started crying.
According to the footage, the stranger had passed them by and talked to baby Emery. A few moments later, when Florence's back was turned, the man returned and then tried to snatch Emery from the shopping cart.
It was a good thing that the baby started crying, which then alerted Florence to what was happening. The stranger, caught in the act, then returned the baby back to the shopping cart.
"I wanted to take you when your mom wasn’t looking."
Florence shared, "At no point did he talk to me. He never asked me to pick up my baby." She adds that the stranger looked at her child and said, "I wanted to take you when your mum wasn’t looking."
She also said that she didn't confront the stranger because she was so shocked because of what had happened and that she did not know what to do.
She wrote on a Facebook post: "I thought he was just an over-friendly guy and maybe he didn't understand what was appropriate and what wasn't, I didn't want to make a big scene out of it and I generally don't want to assume that people are up to no good. I'm so angry with myself for letting him hold her. Please be on the lookout for this guy!"
"The more I thought about it, the more creeped out I felt"
After returning home from the store, she wasn't able to stop thinking about the incident. So she took an attorney with her and filed a police report.
She adds, "He didn’t have a shopping cart, no merchandise. The more I thought about it, the more creeped out I felt. For me, the crime of attempting to kidnap someone was completed the moment when he picked up my child with my back turned and without my consent."
Police in Houston are now reviewing the surveillance footage so that they can identify the man and question him, since he might possibly be a child abductor.
Watch the shocking video below:
Go to the next page to learn more about keeping your child safe!
Keeping your child safe from being abducted
Thankfully, baby Emery wasn't abducted by the man who picked her up. However, not all stories end like hers, so it's important that you take precautions to make sure that your children are always safe. Here are some helpful tips:
- Teach your children online safety. The internet is used by predators and other malicious people to take advantage of children, so make sure to keep yourself aware of what your kids are doing online and guide them on what information they should and shouldn't share.
- Always keep an eye on your children, especially in crowded places such as malls or supermarkets. When watching a movie and your child has to go to the bathroom, accompany them so that they're safe. If you're playing in the park, make sure to teach them to stay near you and within your vision.
- Avoid giving your child articles of clothing that have their name on it, as it might be used by abductors as a way to earn your child's trust.
- Teach your kids to be wary of strangers, and to decline if a stranger gives them gifts or asks them to go somewhere. It's also good to teach your kids not to reveal any personal information to strangers.
- Make sure that your children know any emergency contact numbers, as well as their names, address, and whom they should call in the event of an emergency.
Sources: kidshealth.org, mirror.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk
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