Baby found safe after mall abduction; woman in custody

A baby taken from the King of Prussia Mall has been safely recovered, and his alleged abductor has been taken into custody.

Charges were still pending Friday morning against the woman who allegedly took the 7-week-old boy from his family at the mall’s food court on Thursday, NBC10 reported.

Investigators said to NBC10 that the alleged kidnapper showed off the boy to different family members and friends in several locations before being caught with the child in a home on Upper Gulph Road in Tredyffrin Township.

“We were able to go to a number of locations tonight in both Upper Merion Township, Malvern and eventually into Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, where we did locate the woman, who was seen on video leaving with the baby,” Upper Merion Township Police Chief Tom Nolan was quoted by 6ABC. “The baby is safe and sound but is getting checked.”

The child had been missing for five hours before he was found by police, NBC10 added, also stating that the alleged abductor befriended the boy’s family at the mall and asked to hold him, eventually walking away with him while his family was distracted.

Police received a large amount of tips from surveillance footage and an Amber Alert that were both released Thursday night, according to 6ABC, which added that the suspect has not been identified.