COPS have issued a major update in their hunt for the stranger who doused a baby with scalding hot coffee and left him with 60 per cent burns.
Police in Brisbane, Australia are investigating if the wanted man has fled the country since the evil unprovoked attack on the nine-month-old.
They have worked tirelessly to pin down the suspect after CCTV footage showed a man do a runner after chucking the hot liquid over baby.
On September 7, Queensland Police disclosed that they’d expanded their search beyond Australia, according to News.au.
They said: “Detectives are continuing to investigate the matter and are working with interstate and international partner agencies to progress the investigation.
“An update to media will be provided on Monday.”
The CCTV clip showed a man – described as aged 30 or 40 – of proportionate build with tanned skin jog away from the scene.
He is seen wearing a black cap, glasses, a blue chequered button down shirt with beige shorts before fleeing.
The image has been widely circulated by Queensland Police.
The assailant approached the tot, named by local outlets as Luka, while he was at a picnic with his mum and her friends.
The sick stranger then allegedly poured a thermos of scalding hot coffee over him before fleeing the scene – and remains on the run.
A sweet picture of baby Luka shows him sitting on a blanket happily playing with a toy car before the senseless attack.
The motive of the stranger‘s violent assault that left the boy with life-threatening burns is not yet clear.
Shortly after the attack, a nearby off-duty nurse reportedly ran to the baby’s aid after she heard screams.
She heroically took the little boy back to her home and kept him under a cold shower until paramedics arrived.
Luka was then rushed to Queensland Children’s Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and miraculously survived.
A massive 60 per cent of his body was burnt, including his face, upper body and arms.
After a challenging week in hospital where he went through several rounds of surgery, Luka was finally released, according to News Corp Australia.
The baby’s family was told following his third surgery that he would probably suffer scars under his neck and chest for the rest of his life.
His traumatised mum said shared new photos of him wrapped in bandages as he was recovering in hospital.
She told 9News: “My baby boy didn’t deserve this, no one does. I wish he poured the hot coffee all over me and not my boy.”
Earlier last week, Detective Inspector Paul Dalton called the attack “callous and cowardly” and “completely unprovoked”.
He said: “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. It shouldn’t happen.
“This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and we’ve thrown all our resources that we can possibly to it at this stage to hold this person accountable.”
Inspector Dalton said cops are working “around the clock” to find the perpetrator.
