Authorities in Miami arrested a 23-year-old woman who allegedly attempted to take a 4-year-old boy from his mother at Miami International Airport on Tuesday morning.
According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, identified as Alvina Agba of England, approached the mother and child while they were standing at a checkout counter. The boy was crying, and Agba reportedly offered to help calm him down. The mother allowed her to briefly hold the child.
Moments later, Agba allegedly walked away from the line with the boy still in her arms. When the mother demanded her son back, Agba refused, insisting, “No, this is my child.”
Witnesses said the situation escalated when Agba sat on the floor, wrapping her arms and legs around the child while pushing the mother away. Several bystanders intervened, pulling the boy from her grasp as she allegedly tried to yank him back.
One witness, Naylet Montano, told CBS affiliate WFOR that she ran behind a counter with the child to keep him safe while Agba tried to pursue them. Three men blocked Agba’s path until police arrived.
Sheriff’s deputies apprehended Agba at an airport checkpoint. During questioning, she gave conflicting accounts, at first claiming she only wanted to take the boy to a wall with a rainbow on it to calm him. She later stated she acted because “God told her to do it.”
Agba has been charged with interference of custody, a felony, along with two misdemeanor counts of battery. She is currently being held at Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation and was expected to appear before a judge later the same day.
The boy was safely returned to his mother, and no injuries were reported. Authorities have not disclosed whether Agba had any prior criminal record or history of mental illness.
This alarming incident highlights ongoing concerns over child safety in public spaces and the quick action of bystanders who prevented a potential tragedy.
