On Aug. 27, 9-month-old Luka was rushed to hospital after becoming the victim of a seemingly random attack at Hanlon Park in Stones Corner.
The baby boy was having a picnic with his mother and a friend in the park when they were approached by a stranger. The man dumped a thermos of scalding coffee over the baby before fleeing the scene.
The ensuing search for the 33-year-old man has been unsuccessful thus far. Last Saturday, a spokesperson for Queensland Police stated that the search would be expanded beyond state borders.
"Detectives are continuing to investigate the matter and are working with interstate and international partner agencies to progress the investigation," the spokesperson said.
Detective Inspector Paul Dalton stated that the man was believed to have fled the country. The day after the attack, the man took a cab to Brisbane's city center before driving by car to New South Wales. He then flew out of the country from Sydney Airport on Aug. 31.
Law enforcement learned of his identity less than a day after he left the country. Dalton clarified that the investigation had been initially delayed because police had been given the wrong name to identify the assailant.
Queensland Police released CCTV footage of the man fleeing the scene on X (formerly Twitter) taken from nearby homes in the hopes of obtaining public assistance to locate him.
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
"It soon became apparent to us that this person was aware of police methodologies, was certainly conducting counter-surveillance activities, which made the investigation quite complex," Dalton said. "It wasn't until the first of September that we were able to put a name to the face and the CCTV. Even at that stage, we probably didn't have enough evidence to obtain a warrant."
Dalton continued by referring to the attack as "callous and cowardly", even stating that "In 35 years of being a police officer I've never come across a job where a child this young in these circumstances has been attacked."
The 9-month-old underwent surgery after suffering severe burns as a result of the incident. He is currently at Queensland Children's Hospital in stable condition and under observation.
In a GoFundMe page for the baby, a woman claiming to be the friend who was present when the attack occurred also described the attack as "callous" and "random".
"My friend and I were sitting in Hanlon Park ... with our two babies when a strange man came up behind her nine-month-old son and poured a thermos of boiling hot coffee over his little body and then fled!" she alleged.
The baby boy's mother continues to seek justice for her son, but has stated that some relief accompanied the news that the attacker had fled the country.
"I do feel relief that he's not in this country, in some sense," she stated. "But I will always have fear and anxiety being out in public with my son -- it's affected my mental health for the rest of my life."
