A Florida woman has been taken into custody for allegedly attempting to snatch a 3-year-old boy from his backyard.
Pamela Monsalve, 39, was arrested on a kidnapping charge after being accused of reaching over a fence and scooping up the child while he was playing outside his home in Hallandale Beach on November 25.
According to an arrest report, vigilant neighbors witnessed Monsalve attempting to kidnap the child and called the police.
She had allegedly started walking away with the child when those concerned neighbors swarmed her and started questioning her on what she was doing, the report said.
One witness even took a photo of Monsalve at the scene and notified the child’s mother, according to NBC6
Within seconds of realizing the neighbors’ alarm, Monsalve reportedly put the child down and allowed him to run back to his mother.
But while witnesses allege that she was attempting to kidnap the toddler, Monsalve told responding officers that she was instead rescuing the boy.
In police body camera footage, the accused is heard saying: ‘He was outside, he was naked. Everything was naked and I asked for the people around to call police and nobody would call police. And I told the little boy “Where’s your mom?” and he said no.’
Pamela Monsalve, 39, was arrested on a kidnapping charge after being accused of reaching over a fence and scooping up the child while he was playing outside his home in Hallandale Beach on November 25
When asked by an officer, ‘where’s the little boy now?’, she responded, ‘Well, they were- I got the little boy and everybody was like don’t get the little boy and I gave it back to the mom.’
She also seemed to be unable to remember where she found the child.
On inquiring where the playground was, she told the officer: ‘Near the…outside the…the…outside the…when the mom came out I gave it back.’
But deputies shot down her explanation and noted that there is no connection between the family and the suspect.
Officials also specified that she was out of line in taking him from his yard.
‘Make sure you pay attention to your kids, your surroundings, make sure you know your neighbors and your neighbors know you.
‘This is an example of “know thy neighbor” and those neighbors were able to help prevent this child from being permanently taken,’ Hallandale Beach Police Capt. Megan Jones said of the incident.
She was initially taken into custody on a charge of confining a child under 13 without the consent of a parent.
In police body camera footage, the accused is heard saying: ‘He was outside, he was naked. Everything was naked and I asked for the people around to call police and nobody would call police’
She was initially taken into custody on a charge of confining a child under 13 without the consent of a parent
During questioning, she also seemed to be unable to remember where she found the child
But a judge found probable cause for a kidnapping charge at a later bond court appearance and ordered Monsalve to be held without bond.
During her court appearance on December 3, prosecutors said: ‘I can’t imagine what act can cause more extreme fear, distress in a parent than having somebody, not knowing who, go into their property, their fenced-in property and removing their 3-year-old child.’
At one point, Monsalve tried to make a statement but was shot down by her attorney and was reminded by the judge that anything she says can be used against her ‘in a future date and everything is being recorded’, according to WSVN.
By the end of the hearing, her bond request was denied and she was ordered to not have contact with the victim, to not return to the scene, to not have any contact with minors and to not posses any firearms, weapons or ammunition.
Monsalve is currently being held at Broward County Jail and is expected to appear before another judge on a later date.
During her court appearance on December 3, prosecutors said: ‘I can’t imagine what act can cause more extreme fear, distress in a parent than having somebody, not knowing who, go into their property, their fenced-in property and removing their 3-year-old child’
Monsalve is currently being held at Broward County Jail and is expected to appear before another judge on a later date
This comes months after surveillance footage showed the moment a predator stalked a young girl and attempted to snatch her before a brave neighbor stepped in.
The episode unfolded in Wilmington, Los Angeles, when an 11-year-old girl was on her walk home from school.
The man was seen crossing the street and following the young girl before cornering her by a wall.
Police said he groped the girl as she tried to break free, but when he put his arm around her in an apparent attempt to snatch her, a neighbor spotted the crime in action.
As soon as the witness yelled across the street, the would-be child snatcher instantly turned around and walked back across the road as he realized he was being watched.
It gave the girl just enough time to escape, as neighbor Yolanda Garcia told ABC7 that she was thankful someone was in the right place at the right time.
‘Who knows what would have happened,’ she said.
‘Knowing that I was sat here watching TV, and I didn’t think anything of knowing that something was going on in front of my house… it’s scary.
‘I guess he chose to do it when the kids were coming out of school, it’s unbelievable.’ The footage showed the man hurrying back across the street after the interruption, and he claimed in the moment that the young girl was his ‘niece.’
