WANTED: Attempted Kidnapping
Attalla AL January 27 2023 Attalla police on Saturday afternoon said they have identified the man, who they said drove back to Attalla from Chattanooga and was interviewed by investigators. “All charges will be turned over to the prosecutor’s office,” a police statement read.
Earlier: Authorities in east Alabama are asking for the public’s help identifying a man who they said took a child out of his mother’s shopping cart.
The incident happened midday Thursday at Walmart in Attalla.
Tiffany Rush said she was in the self checkout line when her 3-year-old son, Mason, started pitching a fit. The man in front of her started high-fiving Mason. Rush assumed the man was just trying to calm down the child.
“I was OK with that,’’ Rush said. “But I kept my eyes on him.”
As they were leaving the store, Rush said, the man took Mason out of his mother’s shopping cart and put him in his own, saying, “We’re going to go to my truck.”
At that point, Rush said, she grabbed Mason and the man rushed toward an 18-wheeler.
Rush said she initially didn’t know if the man was playing, but feels like he was trying to take him.
“You don’t touch someone’s kids like that,’’ she said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
“He was trying to take him,’’ Rush said. “It was very scary. I have four other kids and I have never had this happen before.”
“It was like a TV a show,’’ she said.
A woman who watched the incident walked her to her car and told her to notify police.
Rush said she went to the Attalla Police Department. She said police didn’t appear to take her seriously and told her they would look into it.
Police later, however, posted the man’s photo on Facebook and said they are trying to identify him.
Investigators said they reviewed several hours of camera footage and were able to identify the man as a truck driver. He was driving a truck for an Illinois-based company.
Investigators are working with several state agencies to locate the man to interview him.
Anyone with information is asked to call Attalla police.
