Advertisement

Search resumes for toddler 'snatched from pram' in Melbourne park

A search is to resume for a toddler who disappeared under "suspicious" circumstances from a Melbourne park.

The girl's mother reportedly told police that a man pushed her to the ground, before abducting her daughter.

The 15-month-old Sanaya vanished from Olympic Park in Heidelberg West about 10am on Saturday.

The mother ran home sobbing and hysterical and told residents she had been walking with her daughter in the park when a man snatched her and fled.

[img:https://s.yimg.com/dh/ap/default/160408/article_missing.jpg|caption=Police and SES crews search the park where toddler Sanaya went missing. Source: Police Victoria|size=O]]

The mother's cousin, Habbib Ali told 7 News she was screaming and crying: "Somebody took my child, somebody took my child."

The family is of Fijian background and were locals to the area.

Search teams worked through most of the night trying to find the young child.

"Investigators are keeping an open mind to various scenarios, but we are treating the case as suspicious," a police spokeswoman said on Saturday night.

The mother described the man who took her daughter as being of Somalian appearance and aged in his mid 30s.

A command post has been set up at the park as SES volunteers search the area.

The little girl was last seen wearing a short-sleeved white top with pink and yellow hearts, koala print pants, socks, and a black necklace with an oval locket.

Anyone who has seen the girl or has information about her whereabouts has been urged to call triple zero immediately.

News break – April 8