Key Points
- Police arrested a 21-year-old woman for allegedly kidnapping a two-week-old baby in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal.
- The suspect reportedly faked a pregnancy and abducted the baby to deceive her boyfriend.
- RUSA retrieved the child after receiving public tips and conducting an aerial search in Chesterville.
Durban, South Africa – Police arrested a 21-year-old woman on Monday in connection with the kidnapping of a two-week-old baby in KwaZulu-Natal.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) recovered the baby safely near the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Westville. Officers returned the child to her mother, who is now receiving medical support for the baby’s evaluation.
Mother Briefly Left Baby Unattended
According to police reports, the baby’s mother recently met the suspect at a local clinic. The suspect visited the mother’s home on Sunday.
While the mother briefly stepped outside to hang up laundry, the woman allegedly seized the opportunity and fled with the infant. The mother returned and realized both the baby and the visitor had vanished. She immediately contacted RUSA for help.
RUSA Responds Swiftly with Public Tips and Aerial Search
RUSA officers acted quickly. They distributed the baby’s information and received 34 public tip-offs from across South Africa. These came from areas including Pietermaritzburg, Limpopo, Cape Town, and Johannesburg.
Throughout the night, RUSA followed various leads. Officers investigated reports about a woman behaving oddly while carrying newborns.
“Early this morning, Reaction Officers narrowed the search to Chesterville,” RUSA stated. “We believed the suspect intended to flee KwaZulu-Natal. Therefore, we sealed all entry and exit points and deployed our helicopter to survey the area.”
Soon afterward, the RUSA team spotted a woman acting suspiciously while holding a newborn baby. Officers quickly intervened and confirmed that the baby matched the missing child’s description. This marked a major breakthrough in the KwaZulu-Natal baby kidnapping case.
Suspect Faked Pregnancy to Avoid Breakup
KwaZulu-Natal SAPS spokesperson Capt. Ntathu Ndlovu confirmed the details behind the arrest. He said the woman suffered a miscarriage on April 24, 2025, and then plotted to kidnap a baby.
“She met the baby’s mother at a clinic and came up with a plan,” Ndlovu explained. “She wanted to trick her boyfriend into thinking the baby was theirs so he wouldn’t leave her.”
After kidnapping the baby, the suspect visited her boyfriend in Chesterville. She convinced him that the baby was their biological child. Officers later located them and arrested the woman.
Medical professionals are now assessing the baby’s condition. Officials confirmed the child is healthy. The woman will appear in Durban Magistrate’s Court soon, as police continue to investigate the KwaZulu-Natal baby kidnapping case.
