Grandmother Finds Missing Toddler in Grandson’s Arms After Facebook Appeal

A grandmother from New Zealand was stunned to find her 17-year-old grandson carrying a toddler who was reported missing on Facebook.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the grandmother said she was browsing the social media site one morning and saw the post of a desperate father pleading for anyone who had seen his missing 18-month-old son.

“This morning, I was just hopping onto Facebook and having a browse through and see this baby missing and I’m thinking ‘oh you poor darling’.

“Then my daughter comes in and says: ‘Mum there’s a baby here’ and I said to her: ‘A what?’ And I was like: ‘Oh my god, that’s the baby on Facebook’.

“I got up and said: ‘You’d better ring the police and let them know’,” she said.

Her grandson, a 17-year-old boy from Rotorua has been charged with unlawfully carrying off the child.

The toddler, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was reported missing around 2am on Tuesday. His father told Stuff.co.nz that he found the toddler’s cot empty and the window to his bedroom open. “The window was wide open, it looked like someone had broken in and then the front door was a little bit open. We’re unsure how it all happened,” he said.

The grandson allegedly took the toddler to his Aunt’s home. His Aunt told Stuff.co.nz:

“I saw [through the door] someone was holding a baby and I thought ‘who’s here with a baby this early?’

“I opened the door and said ‘aww, who’s baby’s this?’ He said he found it wandering around.”

She added that the toddler was in good spirits while he was away from his parents. “The baby was just walking around, hanging around my boys. He didn’t cry. We got him some clothes and my mum changed him and gave him some Weetbix. The police arrived, he only cried when they went to put him in the car seat,” she said.

The toddler was reunited with his parents just after 8am the same morning. He was taken to hospital for a checkup and given the all clear to return home.

The grandson, who was not known to the family of the missing child, was charged with the alleged kidnapping and will face the District Court this week. He will appear in local court in January.

Meanwhile, the father of the toddler said it was a huge relief to see his son. “I just gave him a big hug, he just seemed like the same old, happy to see mum and dad, he was a happy as little chap,” he said.

Sources: Kidspot.com.au and Au.news.yahoo.com