What a horrific incident: an apparently mentally ill man tried to kidnap a child on the street in Essen!
According to police reports, a mother (31) was walking with her son (4) on Monday morning when the stranger approached from behind. Police spokeswoman Bettina Wehram: “He snatched the child from her, clamped it under his arm and ran away.”
The mother screamed for help – luckily a young man (23) heard this. He bravely ran after the kidnapper (also aged 23) and overpowered him. Together with two other passers-by (22 and 23) he held the suspect until the police arrived.
Child and mother got away with no more than a fright, they said. The arrested man of German-Turkish origin was initially taken to a psychiatric institution.