Man with violent history caught on camera abducting 3-Year-old from mall (video)

A 26-year-old man with a documented history of mental health challenges and violent behaviour has been arrested after allegedly abducting a 3-year-old girl from a shopping mall in Virginia.
 

The incident occurred on July 18 at the Fair Oaks Shopping Center and was captured on surveillance video. According to authorities, Andres Caceres Jaldin was seen picking up the child and walking away with her after she briefly wandered away from an indoor play area.
 

The toddler’s father, who had been supervising nearby, noticed she was missing and quickly alerted his wife, who was shopping inside the JCPenney store. Acting swiftly, the mother spotted Jaldin on the second floor carrying their daughter and immediately confronted him.
 

Court documents reveal that Jaldin returned the child without resistance, claiming he was simply trying to help her find her parents.
 

Following the encounter, Jaldin fled the mall in a vehicle later discovered to have been stolen from a nearby auto shop. Police were able to trace the vehicle to a hotel in Chantilly, where Jaldin was taken into custody.

Authorities later confirmed that Jaldin has a troubled history involving multiple allegations of violence against members of his own family. In 2024, he faced charges including assault and battery, malicious wounding, and property damage. While out on bail, he was reportedly involved in another assault incident.
 

A psychiatric evaluation during prior legal proceedings diagnosed him with schizophrenia. Despite the serious nature of the earlier charges, all of them were eventually dropped.
 

Jaldin now faces new charges of abduction of a minor and grand larceny. He is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond. Fortunately, the child was unharmed in the incident.

 

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