Parents Heroically Thwart Toddler Abduction at Virginia Mall, Violent Suspect Behind Bars
A 26-year-old with a history of violent behavior allegedly tried to abduct a toddler from a northern Virginia mall before her parents quickly stopped him.
Andres Caceres Jaldin was arrested last month by Fairfax County Police days after he allegedly snatched the three-year-old from a playground inside Fair Oaks Mall, according to WNBW-TV.
He reportedly took the child to the second floor of a JC Penney.
The father of the girl, who was watching her at the time, called his wife once he realized that he could not find their daughter.
The wife happened to be shopping inside the JC Penney and spotted Caceres Jaldin with their daughter.
Police later traced Caceres Jaldin to a hotel and arrested him.
“Detectives determined Caceres Jaldin was staying at the Extended Stay in Chantilly,” Fairfax County Police Department said in a public statement.
“As detectives from our VCSU and Criminal Intelligence Unit responded to the hotel, a nearby autobody repair shop reported a vehicle was stolen earlier in the morning,” the agency added.
He had indeed allegedly stolen a vehicle from a nearby auto shop shortly before the incident, according to WTTG-TV.
“Detectives reviewed surveillance and determined Caceres Jaldin stole the car prior to the abduction around 10 am. The vehicle was captured on video surveillance at the mall and found by detectives in the parking lot of the hotel. Caceres Jaldin exited his hotel room and was taken into custody by detectives.”
Caceres Jaldin has been charged with grand larceny and abduction of a minor.
He is currently being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
This was far from his first encounter with the law.
Per WNBW, court records indicate he has previously been charged with assault and battery, malicious wounding, and property destruction.
Among the victims are those in his own family, including his father, mother, and brother.
Caceres Jaldin has a history with schizophrenia, according to a psychiatric investigation of his life.
Footage of the incident shows him wrapping his arms around the girl, who was seen wandering the hallways of the mall for a moment by herself.
BREAKING: Surveillance video released of a migrant abducting a girI in a mall in Fairfax, Virginia pic.twitter.com/FH8GyfhdIk
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“This case is another clear example of how swift coordination between our Real Time Crime Center, detectives, and patrol officers leads to the rapid identification and arrest of dangerous criminals,” Fairfax County Police Department added.
“Victim specialists from our Major Crimes Bureau’s Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure the girl and her family are receiving appropriate resources and assistance.”
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