BABY'S LIFE SAVED

By CECILY ASSON Friday, July 19 2013

FOUR police officers are today being called heroes as their direct involvement is believed to have saved the life of a four-month-old infant boy who was snatched from the arms of his grandmother by a man who later ran off into the forest threatening to kill the child and then himself.

The dramatic rescue of little Sanjay Seepersad on Wednesday evening, took place on the same day another infant, five-month-old Caeli Teelucksingh was rescued by cops in Chaguanas after she was found in a vehicle abandoned by two car thieves, five minutes after the criminals stole the vehicle from Caeli’s parents at gunpoint.

Baby Sanjay’s life literally hanged in the balance as he was found being tightly held by a male relative in the forest some miles from Sanjay’s home at Rampersad Trace, Clarke Road, Penal.

At 6.30 pm on Wednesday, police received a call that a baby had been abducted by a man who ran off into the forest. A frantic Nadia Hosein, 20, was later met by Acting Sgt Victor, Constables Singh and Nanan and WPC Bickram, who were told that a man had snatched Hosein’s son from the arms of his (Sanjay) grandmother.

The officers, accompanied by Hosein, went into the forest and five hours later, spotted the man still holding a screaming Sanjay. The officers drew their weapons and placed themselves at strategic points ready to act in a split second if baby Sanjay’s life became in danger.

Hosein begged the man to hand over the screaming child. The man, Newsday was told, told Hosein to “catch the baby”, but she pleaded with him saying she preferred to walk up to him and take Sanjay. Hosein then walked slowly towards the man while the officers, guns drawn and pointed at the suspect, watched and waited. The man, who stood under a tree, on seeing the officers surrounding him, calmly handed over baby Sanjay to his mother as the officers swiftly moved in and arrested the 29-year-old man who according to sources, appeared to be intoxicated. Baby Sanjay was quickly taken to the Siparia Health Centre where a medical examination revealed he was unharmed.

Up to press time, he remained in custody at the Penal Police Station. It is expected that a file will soon be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for guidance on how investigators should proceed.

Yesterday, a relieved Hosein and her mother-in-law Rajdaye Basdeo, 69, along with other relatives spoke of the hell they all went through while Sanjay was in the grip of his abductor in the forest. Sanjay’s 18-month-old sister Rheanna escaped the man’s fury on Wednesday.

Basdeo said her daughter-in-law has been a victim of domestic abuse who only hours before the abduction, was beaten by the suspect — whom Hosein had a relationship with for the past three years — when she could not help him locate his cellphone charger. Relatives said moments before he abducted Sanjay, the man grabbed an axe and was about to chop Hosein when they were alerted by screams and ran to her rescue with a female relative wrestling away the axe from the man.

“Whenever he drinks, he gets on like this. Things could have been much worse if we have not taken away that axe,” a relative said, adding that this violent tendency was what led Hosein going to court to have a restraining order taken out against him earlier this year.

The man, relatives said, recently breached the order and was charged not only for the breach but also for domestic violence. On Tuesday, he appeared in the Siparia Magistrates Court to answer the charges and was placed on $15,000 bail, relatives said. After he wept and promised to “behave himself”, relatives secured his bail and he was released from custody. “And now look what he gone and do,” a relative said.

Recalling the events of Wednesday evening, Basdeo said, “I was holding Sanjay when he snatched the child away from me and ran. He shouted out that he would kill Sanjay and then himself.”

A male relative took up the story saying that he went into the forest in search of the man. “When I found him, he was holding Sanjay. I told him to give me the child but he said the only person he would give the child to was Nadia. So Nadia went into the bush to get Sanjay but was beaten by the man who refused to release the child,” the man said.

When other relatives telephoned the suspect’s cellphone and he answered it, baby Sanjay could be heard screaming. “I begged him to give the grandmother the child but he refused. He again threatened to kill the child and then himself.” The police were called in.

Hosein yesterday told Newsday that when she came across the man in the forest holding her son, she begged him to release Sanjay. “He told me to catch the child. I told him no, don’t throw the baby. I then walked up to him and took my son,” she said in soft tones.

Newsday was told by relatives that in January, Hosein was placed in a Safe House by police but she left. “I don’t know why he won’t behave himself. He just wouldn’t behave himself,” the soft-spoken young mother said. Relatives later told Newsday that they hope when the man is charged and appears in court, bail would not be granted. They said that Hosein was a loving and forgiving person who in the three years she was with the man, had left him six times only to return after he begged her. Relatives said they would be willing to assist Hosein in taking care of her two children. PC Singh is continuing investigations.


Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,180940.html