Port Elizabeth - A 25-year-old woman appeared in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in connection with the kidnapping of three-year-old Nefrin Roberts.
The toddler was allegedly kidnapped from a Summerstrand beach last week while out with his grandmother.
Megan Diedericks is being held in custody and is expected to apply for bail at a later date.
At the time, police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the toddler and his grandmother were waiting for the child’s mother while on the beachfront.
“While there, a woman introduced herself as Megan from Shauderville struck up a conversation with the grandmother and after a while, both women went across to the nearby shopping centre to buy liquor.”
They went back to the beach and waited for the child’s mother who never arrived.
The two women stayed on the beach and a while later the woman went back to the shopping centre to buy cigarettes and took the child with her and never returned, police said.
On Sunday the toddler was found by police with Diedericks who was arrested in a shack in Victoria Park Drive.
According to the homeless woman, she alleged that when she returned with the child after going to the shop, she could not find the grandmother so she took the child with her.
Police said the woman could not give a reasonable explanation as to why she did not contact police.
The child was taken to Dora Nginza hospital for a medical examination and apart from being malnourished, he was fine.
The toddler has since been reunited with his family.
The case against Diedericks was postponed so that she could point out her physical address.
According to the State, Diedericks does not have a home address.
The case was also postponed for a criminal record check and a possible formal bail application.
Diedericks has already indicated she would plead not guilty to the charge.
She will be back in court on January 16.