7-YEAR-OLD GIRL ALLEGEDLY TARGETED IN SHOCKING ABDUCTION ATTEMPT IN ADELAIDE

A quiet evening in a suburban Adelaide neighborhood took a frightening turn Monday night when a man allegedly grabbed a 7-year-old girl who was walking with her grandparents.

Police said the incident happened shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Niven Drive in Paralowie, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

According to police, the man allegedly picked up the young girl and carried her a short distance before putting her down.

But the situation quickly caught the attention of a nearby driver.

Stephen Ooyendyk said he was driving past the area when he noticed a man dressed in black carrying the child.

“I saw this guy all dressed in black pick up this little girl,” Ooyendyk told ABC News.

After realizing something was wrong, he stopped and spoke with the girl’s family. They told him the man had just tried to take their child.

Ooyendyk then made a U-turn and followed the suspect into a nearby park. The man eventually disappeared from view.

Police arrived within minutes and began searching the area.

An 18-year-old Paralowie man, Barry Peter Smith, was later arrested and charged with child abduction by force or fraud.

During a court hearing, prosecutors alleged that CCTV footage showed the accused following and watching the children before allegedly picking the girl up from her stroller and attempting to flee with her.

The accused applied for bail, but the court ordered him to remain in custody while a home detention bail report was prepared. He is due to return to court next week.

The allegations have not been proven in court, and the accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The incident has left the local community shaken and serves as a disturbing reminder of how quickly an ordinary evening can turn into a frightening situation for a family.

Paralowie, Adelaide, South Australia

Source: ABC News Australia