Couple didn't realise they were babysitting kidnapped toddler
This cute little boy called Ronnie Tran has attracted worldwide attention after getting caught up in what US Police describe as a ‘very very complex case’.
John Truong was at home in Washington when he saw an Amber Alert for a missing child, who he then realised was the child he had been babysitting for his sister.
Mr Truong told KOMO News: "It's probably the craziest thing I've ever heard.
"It's like something out of a movie."
Police took custody of the two-year-old boy after they had issued an alert earlier that day for the toddler and his mum after reports they had been kidnapped.
Mr Tuong and his wife didn't know about the alert until early the next morning because they had not checked the news.
He described how he was eating his breakfast and first became aware of the missing child while checking his Facebook feed for news.
He said he thought: “It looks like this child in my bed, and I'm like, 'Oh my God! What's going on?' "
Mr Tuong called the authorities who arrived to find the boy safe and the surprised babysitter had to explain how Ronnie had come into his care.
The unsuspecting brother told detectives that his sister had asked him to look after Ronnie and that he was her boyfriend’s son.
The sister said the couple would be back to pick up Ronnie the next day but they never returned and their phones were switched off.
Police have since arrested the sister and the child’s grandmother for allegedly kidnapping the boy’s mum and shooting her with a Taser.
They then allegedly tied her up and kept her prisoner in a garage where she later escaped and went to a neighbour’s house for help.
Police publicly appealed for the grandmother to come forward and she later voluntarily went to a police station where she was questioned for ‘hours’.
Mr Tuong told KOMO News: “He was a great kid. He didn't cry much or anything.
“He enjoyed my dog's company and my children's company.”
News break – April 17
