Naked man arrested for trying to snatch baby, flees by jumping into Okanagan Lake
Posted April 28, 2019 9:00 pm.
Last Updated April 29, 2019 7:18 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
KELOWNA (NEWS 1130) — It was a bizarre spectacle along Kelowna’s waterfront Sunday afternoon that ended in an Alberta man being arrested in the nude.
Mounties say a family was walking with a baby through one of the city’s waterfront parks around 2:30 p.m. when their child was apparently snatched from its mother’s arms.
After a struggle, the man is said to have tried to get away by stripping naked, jumping into Okanagan Lake, and swimming to an isolated log boom.
Videos sent to NEWS 1130 show a man stripping at a dock and jumping into the lake, then being taken away by police.
The man was eventually coaxed closer to shore and arrested by police, who were assisted by a Kelowna Fire Department rescue boat.
“It’s unclear at this time exactly what the male’s intentions were and that, of course, will be a large portion of our continued investigation,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said in a news release. “As a parent myself, I can only imagine what would have been going through the minds of the child’s parents.”
The baby was checked in hospital and released. The suspect faces potential criminal charges and is expected in court on Monday.
RCMP are asking anyone who saw what happened to get in touch.
