MAN SNATCHES LOVE CHILD

Girl screams: I don't want papa to carry

SHE was waiting with her 3-year-old daughter for the pedestrian light to turn green.

What happened next stunned the single mother and sparked a frantic chase to save her daughter.

In a split second, a man suddenly rushed forward and grabbed the unsuspecting toddler.

He then dashed off, holding on the girl as she screamed her lungs out and struggled wildly, reported Lianhe Wanbao.

Her cries for help alerted passers-by who joined her mother in hot pursuit.

They caught up with the man after about 300m and surrounded him.

Trapped, he had to let the girl return to her mother.

The man turned out to be the girl's father. He is reportedly locked in a tussle with his ex-lover, 28, for her custody.

The 42-year-old businessman was seen arguing with the police for about half an hour. It is understood he was then let off with a warning.

The mother claimed that the daylight snatch capped a series of harassments by him in the past week.

She alleged that he had made a false missing persons report on her and got a locksmith to force open the door to her home.

The latest incident took place outside Causeway Point at 5pm on Saturday as the woman was taking her daughter to the library.

She recalled: 'We were about to cross the road at the traffic lights and my daughter wanted to press the button.

'I let her run ahead as it was very near. Who would have thought that someone would grab her?'

Shocked, the mother's first instinct was to give chase.

I DON'T WANT PAPA

The girl's screams of 'I don't want papa to carry' turned many heads. Passers-by started to chase him, too.

'We stopped him outside the Woodlands Civic Centre entrance and got my girl back,' said her mum.

'Both of us want her, but my daughter has always been raised by me. Then he got frustrated and it led to this.'

She said they had split up when she was pregnant with the girl.

'We felt that we couldnt get along, and we didn't want to force ourselves to be together for the baby's sake.'

They agreed that he would give child support while she looked after the girl.

'After the baby was born, he didn't shower a lot of affection on her. He didn't dare acknowledge her as his child in front of other people.

'But when he saw her growing to be so adorable, he began to love her more, and wanted her.'

He said he would employ a maid to raise the girl, the mother claimed.

Because of the custody issue, the single mother said her ex-boyfriend had harassed her family lately.

'He once made a police report that I went missing, causing the police to turn up at my doorstep only to find me sleeping at home.

'Another time he brought a locksmith to open my lock to force himself into my home. It made my family and me so worried, we didn't know what to do.'

But one thing is for sure: She'll never give up her daughter's custody.

'My daughter is my flesh and blood, I will look after her myself.'