Urgent manhunt after week-old baby snatched from hospital by woman dressed as nurse

A seven-day-old baby boy was abducted from a German hospital neonatal ward by a woman police say was disguised as a nurse – she allegedly pretended to carry out an examination on the infant

A manhunt is underway following the abduction of a baby from a hospital ward. The infant boy was just seven days old when he was snatched from the neonatal ward of a German hospital.

Authorities say the tot was taken from the Lüdenscheid hospital in North Rhine-Westphalia by a woman posing as a nurse. The alleged culprit is believed to be in her mid-20s to early 30s with blonde hair.

She was seen wearing a light blue coat and large glasses. Police detailed how she entered a patient’s room at the hospital at 3.15pm and took the baby, feigning it was for an examination, reports the Mirror.

The child was discovered about an hour later at 4.10pm, naked in the stairwell of a nearby car park next to a ticket machine.

An ambulance returned the child to the hospital where he is reported to be doing well. The Sterncenter parking garage is a multi-storey car park approximately an eight-minute drive from the hospital.

A major police operation was initiated after the baby was found, with authorities stating they have no clear understanding of why the woman took the child. Family members reportedly said they did not recognise the woman impersonating a nurse.

Police have instigated a search for the woman, with officers examining CCTV footage and employing a sniffer dog in their investigations.

The force described the woman as blonde, very slim and about 5ft 10 inches tall, with her hair styled in a braid.

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