Man ‘snatched girl, 2, from Ibiza beach TWICE’ before being arrested by off-duty cop who heard mum’s screams

A MAN tried to kidnap a toddler twice on a beach in Ibiza before being arrested by an off-duty cop, police have said.

The Moroccan national was snared after the policeman heard the two-year-old girl's mum screaming on Talamanca beach.

Spanish detectives say the man kissed the tot after grabbing hold of her.

She was then rescued by her mum, who took her to another spot on the beach.

But he then picked the youngster up again and took her into the sea.

Her terrified mum started screaming - grabbing the attention of an off-duty cop who rushed to help.

The man put up resistance before he arrest was arrested following the horrifying incident last Wednesday at around 12.30pm, police said.

A spokesman for the National Police in the Balearic Islands said: “Officers have arrested a Moroccan man as the suspected author of a crime of unlawful detention, sexual assault, resisting arrest and disobedience, after he tried to take a two-year-old girl on a beach in Ibiza who he kissed on the face.

“The man, without apparent motive, grabbed hold of the girl and starting kissing her on the cheek and stopping her from escaping.

“At that moment the girl’s mum grabbed hold of her daughter and freed her from the man’s grip.

“She went to another spot on the beach which was a fair distance from where they had been sitting and the man came up to them and grabbed hold of the girl again and went into the sea with her.

“The youngster’s mum started yelling because the man was ignoring her and wouldn’t let go of her daughter.

“At that point an off-duty police officer who was on the beach and heard the mum’s screams came to help and managed to reunite the mum with her daughter.

“He ordered the man to move away several times but the man adopted a violent attitude and threw himself on the off-duty police officer who had to reduce him and retain him until more police help arrived.

“The suspect was arrested for alleged unlawful detention of a minor as well as for crimes of sexual assault, resistance and disobedience.”

Police in Ibiza have not revealed the nationality of the mum or her toddler.

It was not immediately clear today if the man has already appeared before a judge and been bailed or remanded in custody.