Baby girl snatched and woman assaulted in Crawley town centre

Police are now appealing for witnesses to the violent incident which happened in a play area of the Memorial Gardens soon after 5pm on Monday (September 20).

Officers say that the one-year-old girl was ‘with a man and a woman who are known to each other and the child,’

A police spokesman said: “The man took hold of the child, refused to return her to the woman and walked off towards the car park by the play area while pushing the woman.

“He then drove off at speed allegedly without securing the child in the car properly.

“Police were informed and swiftly found and pursued the car to the nearby West Green area where it stopped.

“The child and woman were unharmed and are receiving support from specially trained officers.

“The 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill, common assault, dangerous driving and possessing an offensive weapon.

“After being interviewed he was released on police bail until October 19 while enquiries continue.”

Detective Constable Penny Furtado of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “If you were in the Memorial Gardens area that afternoon and saw what happened, please contact us either online or by calling 101, quoting serial 1000 of 20/09.”