Parents tracked down suspect on second floor and rescued their daughter

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Police in Virginia released surveillance video of the moment a toddler was allegedly abducted by a 26-year-old man at a shopping mall.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, a toddler left the indoor play area at around 11:45 a.m. July 18 at the Fair Oaks Shopping Center in Fair Oaks, Virginia, when she was allegedly grabbed by 26-year-old Andres Caceres Jaldin, according to FOX 5.

Parents of the young girl found Jaldin on the second floor of the mall and got their daughter back.

According to police, Jaldin fled the mall but was arrested a short time later at the Extended Stay hotel in Chantilly, Virginia. Jaldin allegedly stole a car from an auto shop before the alleged abduction.

The surveillance video released by police shows Jaldin approaching the young girl before picking her up and walking away.

Jaldin was charged with abduction of a minor and grand larceny.

He was arrested by police while exiting his hotel room, officials said.

Jaldin is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Scary moments unfolded inside a Virginia mall when a man grabbed a toddler at a popular play area for children.

According to Fairfax County police, Andres Caceres Jaldin even made it to the upper level of Fair Oaks Mall before the child’s parents stopped him.

Virginians For Safety President Sean Kennedy told 7News he was stunned by how quickly the abduction happened.

“It’s striking that somebody could do this in broad daylight, and no one would notice,” Kennedy said. “This can happen right under people’s noses, and no one would know the better.”

With the help of their real-time crime center, officers arrested the suspect soon after also discovering he allegedly stole a car earlier that day.

7News dug into the suspect’s lengthy criminal record, detailing more than 30 criminal cases in Fairfax County, including a felony charge just weeks before the abduction for allegedly not stopping at the scene of a car accident.

He has also been charged with assault and battery of a family member and malicious wounding. But records show Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano declined prosecuting those two cases.

“It’s really disturbing. Somebody with a criminal history this long, including many violent offenses, and offenses that resulted in bodily injury to members of his family and to the public,” Kennedy said. “And he was released to the public. That shouldn’t have happened.”

7News On Your Side asked Descano’s office the following questions:

7News On Your Side will update when Descano’s office responds.

Currently, Caceres Jaldin is being held in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on no bond.

“If this individual is criminally dangerous, then he needs to be in prison. If he’s mentally incompetent, he needs to be committed because he has demonstrated himself to be a threat to public safety, and now that almost resulted in either the harm or the loss of life to a small child,” Kennedy said. “I’m going to be watching this case very closely. This strikes at the heart of public safety in Fairfax County.”

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