Alberta man arrested in Kelowna after 'bizarre' child grabbing incident - Action News
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British Columbia

Alberta man arrested in Kelowna after 'bizarre' child grabbing incident

RCMP say the suspect allegedly tried to grab a child from its mother and then tried to swim away in Okanagan Lake.

RCMP say suspect allegedly tried to grab child from mother and then tried to swim away

This photograph, provided by Kelowna news provider Castanet, shows the suspect without any clothes on sitting on the end of a boom on Okanagan Lake as police try to apprehend him after a child was allegedly grabbed from their mother on Sunday April 28, 2019. (Castanet.net)

Kelowna RCMPsay a 30-year-old man is in custody after a child was allegedly grabbed from its mother Sunday afternoon in a "bizarre"incident.

Police say they responded to calls from Kerry Park at Bernard Avenue and Abbott Streetabout a man allegedly grabbing a small child being held by its mother.

Police say a man tried to grab a child from its mother at Kerry Park in Kelowna before swimming off in Okanagan Lake. (Google Maps)

According to witnesses, the male suspect tried to swim away in Okanagan Lake after a struggle over the child.

Images and video posted online appear to show the suspect taking off his clothesand swimming in the lake before being apprehended.

"During his attempt to flee and his interaction with other onlookers and police, he began to disrobe,"said Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey.

The man wasn't known to the family, said O'Donaghey, adding the suspect faces potential charges.

"Our investigation does remain ongoing [as] it wasn't immediately clear exactly what the male's intentions were," he said.

Police say the child appeared to be uninjured but was examined in hospital before being released.

The suspect, who police say is originally from Alberta, was expected to appear in court Monday.

Kelowna RCMP are asking any witnesses to the incident to contact them.