WATCH Man Tries to Grab Child at Restaurant in Gauteng, South Africa

A terrifying incident, in which a man tried to grab a child around the neck, was caught on film yesterday outside a pizza restaurant in Florida, Roodepoort in Gauteng, South Africa.

A man can be seen jumping over a fence to try and grab a child, who was sitting at a table with her mother on the terrace. Fortunately there were a couple of heroes sitting at neighbouring tables, including security staff, who immediately jumped up to wrestle the child free from the man’s grip, and to hold the man down on the ground so he could not escape.

According to Gauteng Police, the incident allegedly took place at around 17h00 at the Pizza Shop in Florida. The police said that a mother was sitting with her four-year-old child when “an unknown male came and grabbed the child by her neck as if he wanted to take her. The mother and the child screamed, and with the help of the shop owner and the community the suspect was apprehended.

“The suspect, aged 24, was arrested and appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrate Court this morning,” the police told SAPeople.

Private Investigator Wendy Pascoe said it was not an attempted abduction, but a “continuation of an initial incident of Assault GBV (gender-based violence) that started on the street and was not captured on camera”. A witness told Ridge Times: “He was walking along the street banging on cars. Then he just started running up to the girl. It didn’t look like he was trying to take her, he was really trying to hurt her. His eyes were dead…”

The suspect allegedly claimed afterwards that he was working for a foreign syndicate, but this is unlikely according to expert. Pascoe said in a post on Facebook that the suspect is a “known heavy drug addict”.

According to social media posts, one of the main heroes who saved the child was Safeguards’ Security Manager who fortunately happened to be there for a meeting.

The suspect’s name has been revealed on social media. In one video the man can be seen praying. According to the man’s Facebook page, he attended Florida Park High School (‘Parkies’) and studied Sound & Audio Engineering.

In July the suspect had been reported missing for a few days. Missing posters were shared until he was found on 11 July and that case was closed, according to Pascoe.

WATCH Man tries to grab child around neck, outside pizza shop in Florida, Gauteng

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In a Safeguard Security Team update, it says: “We have received increased reports of children being kidnapped at restaurants and shopping malls in the Jhb Northern suburbs.”

The Safeguard security team advises:

• Please ensure you know where your children are at all times and visa versa.
• Make sure your children know not to listen or talk to any strangers that approach them in a mall, restaurant or public area.
• Make sure your children know where you are seated before letting them go to the play area.
• Unfortunately, when children are unsure of their situation they tend keep quiet and follow instruction especially when talking to adults. let them know it is okay to shout or scream for mom/dad if they are pulled anywhere / told to follow or anything suspicious.