BERKLEY—On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10:45 a.m., a possible kidnapping occurred near the western side of Aquatic Park West in Berkeley by a homeless woman.
The homeless woman was later identified to be 49-year-old Leana McShane, upon booking at Berkeley Jail. She attempted to snatch a 10-month-old baby boy who was being driven around Aquatic Park West in a stroller by his grandmother at the time of the attempted kidnapping. The bystanders in the park were alerted to the kidnapping, and they called 911 immediately. McShane attempted to take the baby boy in the stroller while it was upside-down. But people who witnessed the kidnapping intervened.
After McShane was confronted by the bystanders at Aquatic Park West, the baby suffered bleeding; his injuries were minor. The bystanders were able to take back the baby away from the clutches of this supposed kidnapper back to into safety of his grandmother.
Although McShane walked away without the baby, she was found by Berkeley Police, who responded to a 911 dispatcher call, on the eastern side of the park. She was apprehended and booked into Berkeley Jail on charges of suspicion of attempted kidnapping and elder abuse.
