A 59-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a seven-month-old baby at a mall in Surigao City on Christmas Eve.

Police said a 17-year-old woman reported to authorities that her baby was taken by the suspect who allegedly pretended to be a vlogger.

Based on investigation, the complainant said she met the suspect at the mall while having lunch, along with her baby, before shopping for her children’s clothes.

During their conversation, the suspect reportedly said they were looking for a mother who they could help this Christmas, and that the complainant was supposedly the fourth beneficiary.

Later, the suspect offered to cover the complainant’s shopping expenses.

While they were shopping, the suspect allegedly offered to carry the baby so the complainant would not have difficulty shopping. The complainant accepted the offer.

However, when she looked back, the suspect and her baby were already gone, prompting her to seek help from the security guard and police personnel deployed outside the mall.

Police officers reviewed the mall’s CCTV footage to locate the suspect.

The suspect and the baby were intercepted at the Macagal Port around 3 p.m., where the suspect reportedly planned to go to the Siargao Islands.

The suspect, a resident of Barangay Cawilan, Tagana-an, Surigal del Norte, was then arrested while the baby was brought to the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD).