Australian police say suspect who allegedly burned baby in unprovoked attack fled country

Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Police in Australia on Monday identified the man accused of severely burning a 9-month-old baby with hot coffee in an unprovoked attack late last month as a foreign national who has fled the country.

A warrant was issued Monday for the unnamed suspect's arrest on charges of acts intending to cause grievous body harm, a life-imprisonment offense, Paul Dalton, detective inspector in charge of South Brisbane district's child protection and investigation unit, said during a press conference .

He identified the suspect as 33-year-old man who had been in the country legally and had no prior criminal history.

The suspect had used their own passport to flee Australia by plane via Sydney airport on Aug. 31, about five days after he was accused of throwing hot coffee on the baby Aug. 27 in Brisbane's Hanlon Park, which is located on the east-central coast of Australia.

The baby suffered serious burns in the attack and was transported to the hospital from where the boy has since been released.

After the attack, police released images and CCTV footage of the man as authorities sought information about his potential involvement.

Police have released CCTV of a man who may be able to assist police with their enquiries into the serious assault of an infant at a park in Stones Corner yesterday. https://t.co/LdUDvYR1Sw pic.twitter.com/fjSXb4VMb6 — Queensland Police (@QldPolice) August 28, 2024

Dalton described the ensuing investigation as "probably one of the most complex and sometimes frustrating" he has been a part of or led as the suspect was knowledgeable of police practices.

"This person was aware of police methodologies, was certainly conducting counter-surveillance activities, which made the investigation quite complex," he said, without elaborating on what exactly the suspect was doing.

Officers were only able to put a name to the face seen in the CCTV footage on Sept. 1, a day after he fled the country.

"He was aware what we do to find people," he said.

No motive has also been uncovered amid the investigation for a crime that Dalton described as "strange" since the suspect and his victim's family were unknown to one another.

Initial inquiries have been made with international partners who have also been briefed on the investigation, he said.

He added the suspect had arrived in Sydney via car that police were looking for and believe is located in New South Wales. Sydney is located about 570 miles south along the Australian coast from Brisbane.

Some 30 detectives are working for Dalton who said they were "devastated that they missed this person by 12 hours."

"I was in the investigation center 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 lost him; it was deflated," he said. "But that deflation quickly turns into determination and resilience to get the job done."