Infant Rescued After SoMa Kidnapping Sparks Citywide Search

Infant Rescued After SoMa Kidnapping Sparks Citywide SearchSherman Street. | Photo: Google Maps
Fiona Lee
Published on July 17, 2017

On Sunday morning, a 36-year-old woman abducted an infant at Victoria Manolo Draves Park in SoMa, prompting a citywide alert. 

SFPD responded to reports of a kidnapping at 8:36am after a suspect abducted a female child less than a year old from her father's parked car as he was preparing a bottle a short distance away. 

Both father and daughter were along the Sherman Street side of the park, and the child's mother was on her way to meet the two when the child was kidnapped.

A citywide alert went out after the kidnapping was reported.

An eyewitness told police that the suspect was seen with the child boarding a Muni vehicle. (At this time, police are unable to say if the Muni vehicle was a bus or a light rail.) After the alert went out, a Muni operator spotted the suspect and the infant on a vehicle near Bayshore and Arleta in Visitacion Valley. 

Bayshore and Arleta. | Image: Google Maps

Police immediately responded to the area, where both suspect and child were located.

Police reunited the child with her parents by 9am; as a precaution, she was taken to the hospital for an examination, but was not injured. 

The suspect was arrested and charged with kidnapping. A description of the suspect is not available at this time. 

Police are now investigating the case. Officials reported that the relationship between the suspect and the family, if any, is not known. 

Although there has been an arrest, police are requesting that anyone with information in the case to contact SFPD's anonymous tip line by calling 415-575-4444, or by sending a text to TIP411 (847411) with "SFPD" at the beginning of the message.