Baby girl found ‘safe and well’ after car hijacking in Dublin

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A five-month-old baby girl has been reunited with her mother and father after a car hijacking in Dublin.

The girl had been missing from her parents for just over two hours after what Irish police described as a “very traumatic time” for the family.

Irish police continue to search for a “white middle-aged man” in connection with the incident.

An Garda Siochana said they had “serious concerns that there is an immediate and serious risk to the health or welfare” of the girl and issued an urgent Child Rescue Ireland (CRI) alert just before 4pm on Monday.

It followed an earlier public information alert at approximately 3pm about a silver Nissan Qashqai hatchback.

The baby girl was in the rear of the car when it was hijacked from Mountjoy Square West in Dublin at approximately 1.50pm.

Gardai said they “immediately commenced searches in the north inner city” and emergency alerts were issued to all member son patrol.

Members of the public were asked not to approach the vehicle and were instead instructed to report any information or sighting by calling 999 or 112.

Shortly before 4.20pm, The car was recovered from North Richmond Street after being discovered by gardai on patrol.

The CRI alert was cancelled and gardai announced that the girl had been found “safe and well in Dublin City Centre”.

They added: “We would like to thank the public and media for their assistance.”

No person had been arrested in connection with the incident by 5.30pm on Monday.

Superintendent Liam Geraghty said: “The suspect in this case is best described at this stage as a white, middle aged male wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap.”

He said it was a “obviously a very traumatic time” for the mother and father but added: “Thankfully, they were all reunited together shortly after 4pm.”

Asked by reporters if there was any connection between the suspect and the family, Mr Geraghty said: “To the best of our knowledge there’s no connection between the suspect and the family.”

He said gardai currently believe that the incident appears to have been an opportunistic crime, pending further investigation.

An incident room has been established at Mountjoy Garda Station where members are searching for and harvesting CCTV in the area to assist with inquiries.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to either the hijacking or the later abandoning of the car to contact them.