Good Samaritan stops child kidnapping suspect from escaping in San Francisco

Monday, April 15, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A mother and her two-year-old toddler are safe after a stranger tried to grab the child on the streets of San Francisco. Luckily a quick-thinking Good Samaritan prevented the suspect from getting away.
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Adam Walker says it happened so fast. On Friday, he and his wife Sabrina were walking with their son Leo near 17th and Castro Streets when they passed a mother walking with her young son.

"Shortly after we walked by her, she was screaming, 'police!' Someone had taken her child," said Adam.

Police say 34-year-old Roscoe Holyoake grabbed the two-year-old child and started running but suddenly stopped.

"He put the child down, smiled at everybody-- then started sprinting away," said Sabrina.

"Without thinking I took off running after him," Adam added.
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Adam chased the suspect for several blocks and cornered the man. Neighbors called 911.



Holyoake, from East Victoria Park, Australia was arrested by SFPD on suspicion of kidnapping-- the child wasn't hurt

Sabrina is pretty proud of her brave husband.

"So proud, glad the child and mom are ok and nobody was hurt," said Sabrina.

As a parent, Adam said he didn't think twice about chasing down the suspect.

"In that situation, you don't think too much about it, act with your heart, not with your head."
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