False reports of baby kidnapping in Hamilton

By Belinda Feek and staff reporters

NZ Herald·

26 Oct, 2016 10:13 PM2 mins to read

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Reports on social media claim a 3-month-old baby had been kidnapped. ...

Police say reports of a three-month old child being kidnapped in Hamilton are false.

Detective Inspector Gary Lendrum said police received information last night that a woman and her 3-month-old child had been abducted.

As a result of some extensive police enquiries and the execution of search warrants in Waikato, it was discovered that the information passed to police was false.

The woman and her child were located this morning in Auckland, safe and well and unaware of the situation or the search for them.

Two men and a woman are now assisting police with their enquiries and police cannot rule out the possibility of charges being laid.

Armed police earlier searched a Hamilton street following the kidnapping reports.

There were reports of a possible gang connections when the incident began to unfold around 7am on Breckons Ave.

Police searched at least one house on the street, which was closed from Odlin Crescent to Rotokauri Rd.

Reports on social media claimed a 3-month-old baby had been kidnapped.

But there was confusion around the circumstances of the alleged incident.

Neighbours of the unit say they were woken by police banging down the front and back doors of the unit.

It's unclear if the occupant was home at the time.

Residents speculated that the baby was either taken from the street or from a medical facility.

Waikato District Health Board wouldn't comment. A spokeswoman described it as a police matter and has referred Newstalk ZB back to police.

Nola Stoneham, who lives next door, saw at least a dozen Armed Offenders Squad outside her house.

Police are at the scene. Photo / Supplied

She said they knocked on her door and asked her if she had anyone inside and then told her to lock herself in.

She said her neighbour was a man aged in his late 30s who kept to himself.

"I've never come across anything like this before."

The house that police attendeded appeared to be a small unit down a right of way.

Earlier, the Armed Offenders Squad were at the scene, stopping traffic and pedestrians, but have since left, along with the majority of police officers.