Authorities in Paris have launched a criminal investigation after masked assailants attempted to kidnap the daughter of a crypto company CEO and her young child in a broad daylight attack just blocks from the city’s central courthouse, TMZ reported on May 13.
The assault, which was captured on video, took place on May 12 and shows a group of individuals trying to force the woman into a van while she screamed for help.
A man accompanying her, believed to be her partner, was seen shielding their toddler from harm while taking multiple hits from the attackers. The group fled the scene after a bystander intervened using a fire extinguisher.
Local media outlet France 24 reported that the woman is the daughter of the CEO of Paymium, a Paris-based crypto exchange. Officials have not released her identity or that of her family.
Organized gang suspected in coordinated attack
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it has opened a formal inquiry on suspicion of attempted kidnapping, unlawful detention, assault with aggravating factors, and criminal conspiracy.
Prosecutors said the suspects acted in coordination, carried weapons, concealed their identities, and operated in a group, all factors that elevate the severity of the alleged crimes. The motive for the attempted abduction remains under investigation.
The incident unfolded less than two miles from where American media personality Kim Kardashian was giving testimony at the criminal trial of a 2016 armed robbery in which she was held at gunpoint and robbed of millions in jewelry.
Authorities have not indicated any connection between the two incidents. Police are continuing to review surveillance footage and have appealed to the public for information.
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