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An 18-month-old girl is recovering within the hospital with a fractured femur after being snatched by a stranger in a food market.
The girl and her mum were walking hand-in-hand when CCTV caught the person bending right down to grab the little girl and attempting to run away.
He apparently tried to hold the girl away as her mother fought back, with other passersby jumping in to assist.
The kid’s father, seen pushing a trolley, witnessed the alleged abduction and rushed to assist his partner.
In line with reports, several security guards also intervened to capture the suspect on the Esselunga supermarket in Bergamo, northern Italy, on Saturday.
An eyewitness said: ‘I heard a very heartbreaking scream and saw a person in old, worn clothes lying on the ground, holding his head in his hands while surrounded by six to eight supermarket employees.’
The suspect, identified as a homeless Romanian man, was then handed over to the local police.
He had no prior criminal record in Italy, but now faces charges of attempted kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Police spokesperson Marco Cadeddu said: ‘The incident was actually very serious, but it surely highlighted the effectiveness of our security system.
‘Those that witnessed the events and intervened to guard the girl and her mother were all involved.
‘Speaking with the girl’s parents, I understood the profound emotional impact they suffered in a story that, thankfully, had a blissful ending, but which was very, very, very serious.’
The toddler reportedly suffered a fractured femur within the altercation and was taken to a close-by hospital for treatment.
The investigation is ongoing.
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