Sydney -Australian police said Monday they had launched an international manhunt for a man accused of pouring hot coffee on a nine-month-old baby, causing severe burns.
Queensland Police’s Paul Dalton said a 33-year-old suspect fled the country days after committing “the most cowardly” crime the detective had seen in a decades-long career.
The baby was at a family picnic in a Brisbane park in late August when the man, believed to be an itinerant worker, poured scalding coffee over its face and limbs. The baby “sustained severe burns” and required multiple surgeries, police said.
Queensland Police/Delivery
The police have no idea what the man’s motive was. He was not known to family and is now believed to be in an unnamed country. He is charged with intent to cause grievous bodily harm – a charge that carries a life sentence.
According to CBS News partner network BBC News, the suspect flew out of Sydney airport six days after the incident at the park, and about 12 hours before police were able to confirm his identity. The police said in a statement that he is a 33-year-old foreign citizen. According to the BBC, he is believed to have traveled to Australia repeatedly since 2019 for work and was known to have addresses in both the states of New South Wales and Victoria.
Dalton said police knew the country the man was believed to be in, but did not identify him or provide further details because it could jeopardize efforts to apprehend him. He said “pursuant and determined” policing would not stop until the man was captured and brought to justice.
“We will continue until we find you,” he said, saying the force was “fully committed to doing everything we can legally to bring this person back here to face justice.”