Bystanders stop man from kidnapping baby on Atlanta BeltLine, police say

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - A man is facing attempted kidnapping charges after a woman alleges he tried to abduct an infant she was babysitting while they were walking on the BeltLine.

It happened Thursday at around 11 a.m. near Ponce de Leon Avenue NE. According to investigators, the woman told police the man approached her and began shouting as he tried to grab the stroller the baby was in.

The two fought over the stroller for a while before nearby bystanders intervened. Those bystanders, along with security guards and an off-duty Fulton County police officer in the area, held the man down until authorities arrived. He was placed under arrest and taken to Fulton County jail.

The suspect, identified by police as 31-year-old Declarence McGhee, was charged with Attempted Kidnapping and Simple Battery. He is currently being held in Fulton County Jail.

Arthur Harden was working a landscaping job nearby, when he says he heard screams from the woman.

“It happened in the broad daylight,” said Harden. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Harden said he doesn’t know what would have happened if bystanders hadn’t gotten involved.

“Some bikers were coming up the sidewalk and intervened - ran them away from her,” he said. “They came to the rescue for her. There are Good Samaritans out there.”