Limpopo Police, in South Africa, are continuing their intensive search, Wednesday, for a six-week-old baby that was snatched from his mother in the Mokopane CBD, last week.
The baby was snatched from the mother as she bought food at a spaza shop. The abductor, reports later revealed, then disappeared into the taxi rank in the vicinity of the Shoprite Centre.
Police Captain Marcus Mofya, who confirmed the incident, said the incident was under investigation, and canvassed information from the public to unravel the case and save the tot.
“The case is still under investigation,”Mofya said, “and we are following up on all the clues we have. Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspect and reunite the baby with her family, should urgently contact Captain Richard Boshomane at 079 894 5501; Captain Marcus Mofya at 082 565 8277/015 4091400; the crime stop number 0860010111; the crime line SMS 32211 or the nearest police station.”
In the immediate aftermath of the bizarre incident, there was controversy as to the exact location where baby was taken. While initial reports indicated the tot was abducted in the Mokopane Mall, a police release, last weekend, said he was kidnapped outside the Shoprite Centre in Pretorius Street.
However, the Mokopane Mall manager, Mari-Lize Badenhorst, clarified the situation surrounding the baby boy that was taken on Thursday, 28 March.
“The baby boy was not taken from Mokopane Mall,” the manager said. “The mall has several cameras in the parking lot and the mall itself. Our customers’ safety is very important to us and they can safely do their shopping in the centre. I contacted Captain Marcus Mofya on Saturday morning and as a centre manager, offered my assistance to them.”
Shoprite is yet to comment officially on the incident.