The mother of a 22-month-old baby who was abducted by a stranger on Wednesday is speaking out, calling the ordeal one of the hardest days of her life.
In an interview with CityNews Toronto, the mother, who spoke on the condition that she not be identified, says her 22-month-old son was out with his grandmother, when a stranger approached claiming that the baby was not hers.
The family alleges that the man began yelling at the grandmother, saying, “That’s not your baby. You’re Black and that baby is white!”
The man is then accused of assaulting the grandmother, ripping the stroller out of her hands and running off with it while the baby was still strapped inside.
The grandmother attempted to chase after the man, but was unsuccessful.
“She tried her hardest to catch up with him to the point that she soiled her pants running after him,” the child’s mother explains. “There [were] multiple witnesses and a lot of the people just watched as my mother struggled to get her grandson back.”
According to police, the incident took place near Pharmacy Avenue and Teesdale Place in Scarborough. The man was located shortly after police were called and he was placed under arrest.
The baby was found with no injuries and was reunited with its family moments later.
Officers say 29-year-old David Gonzalez Rendon of Toronto has been charged with harassment, uttering threats, assault, abduction of a person under 14 years of age, overcoming resistance by attempting to choke/suffocate/strangle, mischief/damage to property not exceeding $5,000, and obstructing a peace officer.
Despite his capture, the child’s family is still reeling from the frightening incident.
“My mom ended up with a concussion and my son was traumatized to the point where he was puking and lethargic,” the child’s mother explained.
The family says their grandmother has been in and out of the hospital with dizzy spells and pain following the incident, but is expected to recover. Both she and the child have since been released from hospital.
Police have not released any additional details about the case, but the family is speaking out and warning parents to be vigilant as kids head back to school.
“The accused individual is a dangerous person to the community,” the child’s mother says. “Parents need to be aware of what’s going on in our city these days and I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through.”
“We need to find a way to keep our children safe,” she added.