He then fled on foot, leaving the child with serious burns to his face, arms and legs – and requiring four operations in Queensland Children’s Hospital, the Daily Mail reported.
Police were able to identify the man as a 33-year-old itinerant worker who had visited Australia on various visas since 2019, last entering the country in January 2022.
However, by the time he had been identified, police discovered the man had already fled the country.
Det Insp Paul Dalton of Queensland Police said: “It wasn’t until Sep 1 that we were able to put a name to the face in the CCTV.
He explained: “I was in the investigation centre when we put a name to the face and it was a very happy room, only for us to do a check in 15 minutes and find out we lost him.”
Det Insp Dalton said the man left the country from Sydney airport using his own passport the day before police confirmed his identity, having been staying in New South Wales.
‘Aware of police methods’
To protect the investigation, Det Insp Dalton declined to name the suspect or his destination, but said the man was “aware” of police methods and was using “counter-surveillance” techniques to avoid detection, making the investigation “complex”.