A 55-year-old man was arrested Monday morning in Neder-over-Heembeek, suspected of having tried to kidnap an eight-year-old boy, the Brussels prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday, confirming information from La Capitale. It was a bus driver from Stib, the Brussels public transport company, who contacted the police following noticing the suspicious behavior of the individual.
The facts took place at a bus stop in Neder-over-Heembeek, Monday morning around 08:00. An eight-year-old boy got off a Stib bus at this location and immediately got on another. He spoke directly to the driver of this second bus, asking him for help because a man was following him. The driver then closed the doors of the bus, preventing this individual from getting on, and notified the police.
“We can confirm that a Stib bus driver called the police at the request of a minor who claimed to be followed by another passenger”, said Willemien Baert, spokesperson for the Brussels public prosecutor’s office, on Tuesday. “The police were able to arrive quickly on the scene and arrested the suspect. He was questioned on Monday and was made available to the investigating judge on Tuesday, who will rule on a possible warrant for stop.”