Toddler Abduction At NoVA Mall Caught On Surveillance Video

FAIR OAKS, VA — A surveillance video released on Thursday captured the attempted abduction on July 18 of a toddler at Fair Oaks Mall, according to Fairfax County Police.

Officers responded around 11:43 a.m. for the report of an abduction in the 11700 block of Fair Oaks Shopping Center.

“A young girl was near an indoor play area when a man picked the toddler up and walked away,” according to the police report. “The man made it to the second level of the mall, when one of the girl’s parents intervened. The parent got her back unharmed. The man fled the area before police arrived.”

Scroll Down To View Fairfax County Police Video

Detectives identified Andres Caceres Jaldin, 26, of an undetermined address, as a suspect in the case, according to the incident report. They also determined that Caceres Jaldin was staying at the Extended Stay in Chantilly.

The video shows Caceres Jaldin picking up the girl and walking into a nearby store, after she had wandered away from the play area.

As investigators went to the hotel, police received a report a vehicle was stolen from a nearby auto body repair shop earlier that same day.

“Detectives reviewed surveillance and determined Caceres Jaldin stole the car prior to the abduction around 10 a.m.,” the report said. “The vehicle was captured on video surveillance at the mall and found by detectives in the parking lot of the hotel. Caceres Jaldin exited his hotel room and was taken into custody by detectives.”

Police arrested and charged Caceres Jaldin with abduction of a minor and grand larceny, according to FCPD. The latter charge was in connection to the vehicle reported stolen from the auto body repair shop.

"People who do things like he did can't be in our society harming children," Fairfax Police Chief Kevin Davis told NBC4's Shawn Yancy.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported there were 712 attempted abductions of children in 2024, according to Davis. FCPD released the video on Thursday to raise awareness in the community of abductions.

"Some are girls between the ages of 10 or 14, and most of the times, the perpetrator is not on foot," Davis said. "Most of the time, the perpetrator is in a car, trying to lure these, quite often, little girls by asking questions and offering a ride."

On July 21, Caceres Jaldin was arraigned in Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, according to court records. A preliminary hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 21.

The abduction charge is a Class 2 felony. If Caceres Jaldin is convicted on this charge, he faces a possible sentence of 20 years to life and a potential fine of up to $100,000, under the Code of Virginia.

The grand larceny charge is also a felony. If Caceres Jaldin is found guilty, he could receive a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to Virginia law. However, at the discretion of the court or the jury trying the case, he could be confined in jail for a period not exceeding 12 months or fined not more than $2,500, either or both.

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