Police search for man who poured scalding hot coffee on baby in a park

Sydney — Australian police on Monday said they had launched an international search for a man accused of pouring hot coffee on a 9-month-old baby, causing serious burns.

Queensland Police's Paul Dalton said a 33-year-old suspect fled the country days after committing "the most cowardly" crime the detective had seen in a decades-long career.

The baby was at a family picnic in a Brisbane park in late August when the man, believed to be an itinerant worker, poured scalding coffee over its face and limbs. The baby "sustained serious burns" and required multiple surgeries, the police said.

Police have no idea what the man's motive was. He was not known to the family and is now believed to be in an unnamed country. He is accused of intending to cause grave bodily harm — a charge that could carry a penalty of life in prison.

According to CBS News' partner network BBC News, the suspect flew out of Sydney airport six days after the incident in the park, and about 12 hours before officers were able to confirm his identity. The police said in a statement that he is a 33-year-old foreign national. According to the BBC, he's believed to have travelled to Australia repeatedly since 2019 to work and was known to have addresses in both New South Wales and Victoria states.

Dalton said the police knew which country the man was believed to be in, but that they were not identifying him or providing further details as it could endanger efforts to apprehend him. He said "dogged and determined" police work would not stop until the man is captured and faces justice.

"We will keep going until we find you," he said, saying the force was "fully committed to doing everything we possibly can lawfully to get this person back here to face justice."