A five-year-old boy has been returned to his family in the Russian city of Novokuznetsk after police stormed an apartment to rescue him from a drunk suspect who abducted him, authorities and local media reported.
The child was discovered three kilometres from his home in a neighbouring district following an urgent search operation launched after his mother reported him missing to the police.
More than 50 people took part in the search, including police officers, rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, volunteers and local residents. Investigators identified the suspect after outdoor security camera footage captured a stranger carrying the missing child in his arms.
Stalking and abduction
According to details reported by the Telegram news channel Mash, the 35-year-old suspect, who has a prior criminal record, had spent several days stalking the boy outside his home before approaching him.
When the child's scooter broke down, the man offered to help. Instead of fixing the scooter, the suspect carried the boy in his arms across railway tracks and a river into a neighbouring district containing warehouses, workshops and garages.
The man bought the child ice cream, put him to bed, and served him tea and sandwiches the next morning while putting on cartoons. When police officers breached the apartment, they found the drunk suspect wearing only his underwear.
Investigative Committee investigation
Novokuznetsk is an industrial city located in Kemerovo Oblast in south-western Siberia. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation serves as Russia's primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating serious criminal offenses.
The regional department of the Investigative Committee told Russian news site Lenta.ru that the child has been returned to his parents and that the suspect is currently being interrogated by officers.
Investigators have completed an inspection of the crime scene, questioned witnesses and ordered forensic medical examinations as prosecutors determine formal charges and request that the suspect be held in custody.
