An attempted child abduction at an Acworth Walmart was thwarted, and a 56-year-old Kennesaw man is now facing multiple charges, including felony kidnapping. Acworth Police responded to the Walmart at 3105 Cobb Parkway on Tuesday last week after Mahendra Patel allegedly tried to pull a child away from its mother.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the mother, approached by Patel asking about Tylenol, was able to hold onto her child during the attempt. Witnesses reported seeing Patel flee the store after the mother stopped the abduction. Despite the ordeal, the child was unharmed. Acworth detectives used surveillance footage and FLOCK cameras to track down the suspect.
Patel was arrested Friday last week and is being held without bond at the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. He faces charges of simple assault, simple battery, and kidnapping, as noted in a release covered by 11Alive.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Acworth Police Department at 770-974-1232. The investigation is still ongoing as officials work to gather more details about the attempted kidnapping.
