A teenager has been arrested over the kidnap of a 6-year-old boy, Jiading District prosecutors said yesterday.

Zhou Yang, a 17-year-old laborer from Yangzhou City in Jiangsu Province, is alleged to have demanded 50,000 yuan (US$8,050) from the parents of Pan Hao.

It is claimed that on May 1, Zhou saw Pan Hao, the son of a restaurant owner he knew, playing with friends in a Jiading shopping mall. Zhou, who was jobless at the time and short of money, hit upon the idea of kidnapping the child, it is alleged.

He is said to have lured the child to his girlfriend's home and persuaded the boy to tell him his parents' phone numbers.

The teenager is said to have called the boy's parents telling them to put 50,000 yuan in his bank account.

When his girlfriend Guo Jing came home, Zhou told her the boy was the son of relatives.

He is said to have called the boy's parents with Guo's cellphone and was told 20,000 yuan had been paid in.

Zhou asked Guo to change her SIM card, arousing her suspicions. When Zhou told her the truth, Guo asked him to release the child, but Zhou withdrew 19,500 yuan.

At 7pm, Zhou was held by police as he and Guo were taking Pan Hao out for dinner.

Prosecutors said Zhou was arrested for kidnapping while Guo is regarded as innocent.

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