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3rd May 2024
10:51am BST
A man has been arrested after attempting to kidnap a two-year-old child from a pram in Dublin city centre on Thursday afternoon.
Reports say that the incident occurred around noon in the Sherriff St area of Dublin’s north inner city.
A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and is now being held in Store Street Garda Station.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, a passerby said she heard screaming in the direction of the incident.
“The baby was in the pram in the garden and the mam was just in the house getting something,” she told the publication.
“A man came and took the pram. He ran away. The mam started screaming for help and knocking on doors.”
Local Dublin councillor Nial Ring said he had been talking to people in Sheriff St and said that Gardaí were at the scene within minutes.
“This is every parents worst nightmare. But thanks to the vigilance of the local people there something horrendous was prevented.”
It’s since been reported that the child was two-years-old and had been left in her pram alone for a brief moment outside of her home on Sheriff Street Lower while the mother went inside to retrieve something.
It’s believed the man then took the child from the pram and began walking away with her before two young men stopped him after realising the child was not his.
More residents then came to the scene to take the toddler back from the man.
It’s been reported that the man did not put up much of a fight as the locals took the girl off him.
It’s also been claimed that the began shouting about his desire to be attacked and arrested. He then laid on the ground until Gardai arrived and arrested him.
In a statement to JOE, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said: “Gardaí from Store Street responded to an incident in the Sheriff Street area of Dublin 1 shortly after 12 noon on Thursday, May 2nd, 2024.
“A man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested at the scene for an alleged offence under the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act, 1997, and is currently detained at a garda station in the Dublin Region under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
“An Garda Síochána is currently investigating and verifying the details of this incident.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
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