Cranston Children Kidnapped then Reunited with Mother

Two Cranston children were kidnapped by a domestic partner, abandoned at a Providence store and later reunited with their mother Tuesday night and now, Providence police are looking for a suspect.

The incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon when police got a call around 4:30 p.m. for a report of two abandoned children at Joe’s Meat Market, said Lt. Roger Aspinall of Providence police.

A man with a beard went into the store and left an 11-month old baby in a car seat and a 4-year-old girl, telling employees that that the mother would be there soon to pick up the children.

Workers called police, who then reunited the children with their mother at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

The mother, of Cranston, called police shortly after the suspect took the children, reporting that she was confronted by the man in a Walmart parking lot at around 2:30 p.m. She said that he was accusing her of stealing from him and he took the children in retaliation.

The mother expected the man to bring the children back home but became worried when he never came back. That led to her call to police.

Police said the suspect was driving a black VW with two missing rear hubcaps, no license plate. He is described as a heavyset Hispanic man with a beard last seen wearing blue shoes and a blue shirt.

The children were not hurt.