(The Center Square) – A man charged with abducting a toddler from Fair Oaks Mall in Virginia last month has a long criminal history in Fairfax County and was released from custody days before the incident, according to court records and state officials.
Police say Andres Caceres Jaldin, 26, picked up a 3-year-old girl who had wandered from a play area inside the mall on July 18. The child’s mother spotted him with her daughter in a nearby store, confronted him, and got the girl back. The suspect fled but was arrested hours later at a hotel in Chantilly.
A stolen vehicle was found at the scene.
Jaldin is charged with abduction of a minor and grand larceny-auto. He is being held without bond. Court records show he has been involved in more than 30 criminal cases in Fairfax County, including past charges for assault and destruction of property.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears posted on social media that Jaldin had 43 prior charges, including attempted murder, and was released without bail before the abduction attempt. Her post called attention to what she described as a breakdown in the system.
Republican congressional candidate Stewart Whitson, who is running in Virginia’s 11th District against Democrat James Walkinshaw, referenced the case in a social media post on Wednesday, criticizing local policies.
“A toddler kidnapped in broad daylight from our neighborhood mall. This is what happens when soft-on-crime politicians put criminals ahead of your family,” Whitson wrote.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug. 21 in Fairfax Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
The Fairfax County Police Department responded to a request for comment but said it had no additional comments.
