Suspect In Shelby Township Child Abduction Arraigned

A 47-year-old native of India was arraigned Monday in 41-A District Court on a charge he attempted to abduct a one-year-old child.

Jameskutty Varghese was arraigned on one count of attempted kidnapping for allegedly taking the child from the arms of his mother Saturday.

Varghese said very little during his arraignment, and relied on a translator for the proceedings before Judge Douglas Shepherd

"We have a very serious allegation here in terms of kidnapping," Shepherd said. 

Citing a concern that Varghese - who holds a green card and has been in the United States only two and-a-half years - might be a flight a risk, the judge set a bond at $500,000 with a number of conditions including no contact with the victim or the family, no alcohol use and no assaultive behavior if he posts bond.

Varghese, who recently moved to Shelby Township from Canton Township and works in the community, plead not guilty and asked for a court-appointed lawyer before he was taken to the Macomb County Jail.

Following the proceedings Britney Wrobel, 24, relived the incident which occurred about 5 p.m. Saturday at her apartment complex near M-59 and Mound.

She said she was walking with her son, Xach, and was approached after Varghese who picked up her son and fled. She chased him down, and was pushed away before she was able to retrieve him. She went to a neighbor's house to call police, who were able to locate and arrest Varghese.

Wrobel said she was "relived that he can't get out," about the high bond.

Varghese's interpreter, Murali Nair, said after the proceedings thought the incident was a "cultural misunderstanding."

"He smiled at the baby and gave a small finger to the baby to hold it" said Nair, and didn't take the baby.

Det. Lt. Thomas Kohl said this was a unique case for Shelby Township.

"This one's out of the blue," said Kohl. "It's unusual for Shelby Township."

This report was updated at 4:34 p.m. Monday.