Snatch thieves mistake baby for bag

SUBANG JAYA: The 31-year-old mother whose toddler was mistaken for a handbag wants police to increase patrols in the neighbourhood to combat snatch theft.

Businesswoman Yap Yann Fang, 31, said till today her 17-month-old daughter Giselle Wong, cries whenever they travel the same route where the crime took place.

On Feb 3, while driving home, snatch thieves on a motorcycle smashed the window of the front passenger seat and tried to grab the baby (Giselle) who was buckled in her baby car seat.

The incident took place while Yap was waiting at the traffic lights at the Persiaran Kewajipan junction in USJ Subang at about 9pm.

“My baby still fears the trauma and I really don’t know what more to do except to change my car to minimise her fears, “she said.

She admitted she uses the same route everyday as it was the fastest way to get to the nanny’s house at USJ 1, from their home in Damansara Idaman.

“My aunty is the nanny for my daughter since she was born, it has been a routine to pick my baby up after I get off work.”

Yap said during the incident she had put her handbag under the car seat and Giselle in her car seat.

“It happened so fast that I could not react. The windows shattered and glass was scattered everywhere including on Giselle.

“She was crying when I saw an arm reach into my car trying to pull my baby as though it was my handbag.”

She was lucky the snatch thieves realised their mistake and sped off from the scene.

Yap, who was wearing a t-shirt that read “Say no to snatch thief” said this to reporters during an awareness campaign held at Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh’s office yesterday

However, Yap said that she was disappointed with other road users as no one helped even after the incident.

“There were several vehicles behind me but no one came to my aid even though I honked the horn to alert that something was wrong.”