Stranger snatched three-year-old boy from his mother before kissing him and proclaiming 'mine'
A young mother has been left distraught after a stranger snatched her three-year-old son before kissing him and telling her he was ‘mine’.
Sammy-Jo Thacker, 28, had to physically fight to get her son back from the stranger and was petrified her young lad was going to be abducted.
The mother-of-three had been walking slightly in front of Erik when the incident happened on Saturday at the Flying Scotsman Health Centre in Doncaster.
When she turned to tell him to catch up, a man in a white tracksuit stepped in between her and her son and grabbed him in an instant before kissing him on his cheek and telling the scared mum he was ‘mine’.
Single Sammy-Jo – who was in Doncaster town centre with her two other children, Elektra, eight and Elaina, two – fought with the man to get Erik back.
She said: “This awful man tried to hold Erik tighter but I pulled him and just started shouting so loudly until eventually he gave him back to me.
“Erik was frozen in fear when I finally got hold of him – it was awful.”
Sammy-Jo says the effects of the incident has made her wary when she is out and is warning other parents to be vigilant.
She added: “This has really affected Erik – he used to be sociable and boisterous but now he’s much quieter and prefers to sit with his head down.
“He freezes anytime someone he doesn’t know walks too close or walks past my window.”
Sammy-Jo said at first she was just confused.
She added: “At first I thought the man was a friend of mine when he kissed Erik’s face but as soon as I heard him say “mine” I knew he had been grabbed by a complete stranger.
“I tried to get Erik and pull him back – three men walked past but no one stopped to help but I don’t think they realised what was going on.
“My son was passed to my friend who I was with and he sat in the buggy frozen in shock and the guy’s mate appeared and they walked off smiling.
“I tried to talk to Erik to let him know he was ok and I’d never let anyone take him but he doesn’t want to talk about it.”
She said she has reported the incident to police and is going to order a harness for the next family trip out.
South Yorkshire police has been contacted for comment.
