A man who allegedly poured scalding hot coffee on a nine-month-old baby has fled the country, Queensland Police say.
The incident occurred on Aug. 27 in a Brisbane park.
Police issued an arrest warrant for the 33-year-old foreign national. However, they soon discovered that the man had already left the country.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton said police identified the man on Sept. 1 but discovered he had fled from Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) the day before. Detectives believe the man drove down after the incident.
Paul Dalton informed reporters on Sept. 9 that 30 detectives were helping with the case.
“We’ve got 30 detectives working for me. They’re devastated that they missed this person by 12 hours,” he told reporters.
“I was in the investigation centre when we put a name to the face, and it was a very happy room, only for us to do a check in 15 minutes and find out we’ve lost him.
“I was deflated, but that deflation quickly turned into determination and resilience to get the job done.”
At this stage, Police believe the 33-year-old had no family or criminal record in Australia, and had worked in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria.
According to Detective Dalton, the man first came to Australia in 2019 on a working or holiday visa.
Police have since asked interstate and international partners to help track down the suspect.
The injured baby was left with significant burns to his face, arms, and legs.
As a result, the infant has undergone multiple surgeries.
As far as motives are concerned, “We can find no motive,” Dalton said.
“I’ve seen a lot of disgusting acts...but (this) probably was one of the most disgusting ones I’ve come across.”
On a more positive note positive side, the family said the little boy has been incredibly resilient.
“He’s up and about, walking, and causing chaos,” his mother said.
A GoFundMe page for the infant has so far raised more than $150,000.
