2 women ‘kidnap’ child, 1, from aunt in mall

A BOY was reportedly kidnapped by two women inside a shopping mall in Cebu City yesterday morning.

Jake Simbajon, who is one year and six months old, was last seen wearing a green jersey and rubber slippers printed with cartoon characters.

The kidnappers allegedly snatched the boy from her aunt’s arms past 11 a.m.

The boy’s mother, Diana, 21, said she left her son with her sister Gina, 29, as she went to buy food for them.

They were at the top floor of the mall, which is situated at the corner of N. Bacalso Ave. and Leon Kilat St.

Gina said she thought the women were relatives of her younger sister’s husband.

“Pareha man gud nawong (They looked similar),” she said.

The suspects told Gina to hand over the boy and go after Diana as they will go home together to Barangay Palanas, Ginatilan.

When Gina looked for her sister, the suspects suddenly went missing. They tried to search for the women inside the mall but they were nowhere to be found.

They immediately sought for help at the Cebu City Police Office’s Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB).

IDMB Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano said they will inspect the closed-circuit television cameras installed inside the mall for possible identification of the suspects.

“Basin paryente ra gyud nila (It may only be their relatives),” he said.

Diana, in an interview, said they just came from the town of Tabuelan and attended her hometown’s fiesta celebration.

Her husband, a construction worker, was left at home for work.

Diana said she even let Jake play some arcade games in the mall before going to the
South Bus Terminal.

“Kinsa man intawn mohatag og bata ‘te, ui (Who would give children away to strangers)?” she told her sister Gina.