Cape Town – A Spar employee who was charged with attempted kidnapping after he was caught on camera picking up a customer’s child and walking away with the 8-month-old baby, has reportedly made his first appearance in court.
According to IOL, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Louw said that Mduduzi Godfrey Thobela was released on bail after he appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, in Johannesburg.
The case was postponed to next month, the report said.
The mother of the baby, Danielle Wolff shared CCTV footage of the traumatic incident on her Facebook page on Monday last week and warned mothers.
Wolff said she was buying groceries at the store last Sunday and had her baby in her arms before putting her down in a trolley, as she got something at the meat section of the store.
“I had her in my arms and when I get to the meat section I placed her in the trolley to free up my hands. I [couldn’t] find what I’m looking for and bend down,” said Wolff.
In the video, while Wolff is bending in the fridge, a man is seen taking the baby and walking off but the mother notices the baby missing from the trolly and starts to frantically look around before grabbing her baby from the man.
“I’m able to grab her from him and say what’s he doing with my daughter? Why does he have her? He is smiling and laughing, telling me he walked past the trolley and my daughter’s arms were up, so he picked her up. I am frozen and confused. Why is he laughing?
“Behind me is another staff member — also laughing. I keep saying this is not funny, you don’t touch a child, you don’t take a child … this isn’t a joke and I don’t find it amusing. I am unsure what to do next, the man again approaches me to “demonstrate” what my daughter was doing and that she wants to go with him?,” Wolff wrote.
Wolff said she went to report the matter to management and the suspect has since been arrested.
New24 reported that management at the store was assisting the police with the investigation and had shared the CCTV footage with police while the family was receiving counselling and legal representation.
Kerry Becker from the store said the suspected employee was immediately suspended, the report said.
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Picture: Facebook / South African Police Service
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
