Man tried kidnapping 2-year-old walking with mother, bystanders foil attempt

An Australian DJ was arrested Friday after he attempted to kidnap a 2-year-old boy as the child walked with his mother along a street in San Francisco, police said Tuesday.

Roscoe Bradley Holyoake, 34, grabbed the boy as the child walked holding his mother's hand. The mother was carrying another baby in a front pack when the incident took place. The mother managed to free the boy from the suspect's grasp after which Holyoake fled, prompting bystanders to chase him. They caught hold of him about half a block away from the scene and held him until the police arrived.

Speaking to Fox-owned television station KTVU, Adam Walker, a witness, said he was walking with his wife and child when they heard a struggle and turned back. The victim's mother was screaming for help as the suspect tried to grab her child. The woman managed to free the child and Holyoake "turned and smiled" before "running down the street."

Walker, along with other bystanders, chased Holyoake down the street. On realizing the number of people behind him, Holyoake stopped.

"He put his hands up, and said 'all right, I'm done'," Walker recounted, adding, " He didn't fight back, didn't struggle, just obeyed my commands, walked to the sidewalk and put his hands on the wall and got on his knees."

Police arrived at the scene and took him into custody.

"The fact that he chose that child over mine, it could have been my child, and if no one got him, and he got away, it could have been anyone else's child the next time," Walker said.

Meanwhile, Walker's wife Sabrina, stayed back with the victim and his mother as the crowd chased the suspect.

"Out in broad daylight when it's so crowded, this was a very, very scary experience," Sabrina said.

Holyoake was held at the San Francisco County Jail on charges of kidnapping and child endangerment, with his bail set at $500,000. He was scheduled to appear in court Thursday, CW-affiliated television KTLA reported.

Praising the bystanders, the San Francisco Police Department spokesman Joseph Tomlinson said, "I think it was great they decided to help, it's very dangerous, but it's great they were able to help apprehend the suspect."

"We don't know what started this, why he decided to grab the child, we're trying to figure out some of those details," he added.

This article originally appeared in IBTimes US.