Man attacks mother and runs off with her 5-month-old baby, New Hampshire cops say

A New Hampshire man accused of attacking a woman and kidnapping her baby has been arrested, police said.

The man, 28, reportedly assaulted a woman on Jan. 26 in Manchester, according to a news release from the Manchester Police Department. He is then accused of running off with the woman’s 5-month-old baby.

The man and woman know each other, according to WMUR, citing police, though the nature of their relationship was not revealed.

An attorney for the man could not immediately be reached for comment by McClatchy News on Feb. 15.

Following the purported kidnapping, police undertook a “significant search” for the missing child.

They contacted some Manchester residents and left voicemails stating, “We are searching for a missing baby in your area,” according to WMUR. “We need your help. Please check your yard, complex and vehicle,” the message stated.

Police eventually located the man’s car and found the baby in a nearby building.

The child was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and the man remained at large, police said.

After several weeks on the lam, the man was arrested in early February in Maine and charged with being a fugitive from justice, police said.

He posted a cash bail, returned to New Hampshire and was arrested again on Sunday, Feb. 12, police said.

He’s been charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

The vast majority of children reported as missing were later found alive, according to Reuters, and in cases of child abduction, non-custodial parents are more likely than strangers to be the perpetrators.

Manchester is about 20 miles south of Concord.

This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Man attacks mother and runs off with her 5-month-old baby, New Hampshire cops say."