Brazen kidnapping foiled at Ferry Building

An apparent attempted kidnapping at San Francisco’s Ferry Building Monday morning was foiled by bystanders, according to police.

A 2-year-old boy was walking with his mother, who was visiting from out of town, in the historic waterfront building around 9:30 a.m. today when they were approached by a woman they did not know, police Officer Robert Rueca said.

The woman allegedly grabbed the boy and pulled him away from his mother, but wasn’t able to get too far before bystanders and employees in the Ferry Building responded to the commotion, Rueca said.

By the time the officers arrived on scene, the suspect had been detained by the bystanders. The boy, who suffered minor injuries, was able to be reunited with his mother.

The suspect, a 33-year-old woman, was arrested and police are investigating the case as a kidnapping. The woman’s identity has not yet been released.

Monday’s incident was the third time in recent months that bystanders have successfully halted an attempted kidnapping in San Francisco, and police today praised the quick actions that kept the boy safe.

Rueca said:

“This is a great example of how citizens will act when they see something, and in this case they did something wonderful. While police would not urge anyone to put themselves in harm’s way, in this case “they were able to act smart and act quickly and it was great.”