A Hong Kong kindergarten located near the border with mainland China has urged parents to keep a close eye on their children after a woman allegedly stalked one of its pupils in a nearby park.
ELCHK Cheung Wah Kindergarten in Fanling said on Thursday it had issued a notice warning all parents about a woman suspected of following a K1 pupil.
Some parents reported the woman “kept staring at and following one of the K1 children” while the pupil was playing in the park opposite Fanling Centre after school hours, the notice issued on Tuesday said.
“Luckily, [the woman] was spotted and stopped by a parent in time before she left quietly with another man a distance away,” the notice said.
“Parents are worried about a kidnapping syndicate in the area. They are advised to be extra careful when picking up and dropping off their children, and never let them walk around alone.”
The kindergarten said it had nothing to add to the notice, which indicated the suspect was a Mandarin-speaking woman.
Last Wednesday, a three-year-old boy was stuffed into a suitcase shortly after he was snatched at a Tseung Kwan O shopping centre for an alleged ransom of HK$5.15 million (US$660,000) in cryptocurrency.
Police rescued the boy at a flat in a private housing estate in Tseung Kwan O 12 hours later and arrested two women in connection with the case.
The pair, both 38 and unemployed, were believed to be strangers to the boy’s family. They were remanded in custody following a brief court hearing last week.
One of the women entered the city on a mainland two-way entry permit, according to an indictment.
Police preliminary investigations showed that one of the suspects covered the boy’s mouth and nose with her hand before she put him in a stroller and took him to a nearby park.
Her accomplice put the boy in a suitcase and transported him to the flat, the force added.
