This article originally appeared here, at wusa9.com

FAIRFAX, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares are calling for an investigation into Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano following the alleged attempted abduction of a 3-year-old girl from Fair Oaks Mall. 

Two weeks ago, around 11:45 a.m., a little girl wandered away from a play area on the first floor of the mall near JCPenney.

“The child just walked away from the play area going towards another store in the mall,” Deputy Frederick Chambers told WUSA9. “The suspect walking by, just walks up behind the child, approaches the child, to which the child turns around, picks the child up and carries her away.”

The suspect is 26-year old Andres Caceres Jaldin. He doesn’t have a fixed address listed, but police said he was staying at the Extended Stay in Chantilly, just five miles away from the mall.

Jaldin allegedly got to the second floor of the mall with the little girl, where her mother confronted him and got her daughter back. Jaldin ran away before police arrived. 

Officers said he allegedly stole a car that morning, too. He was arrested that afternoon. 

Court documents revealed he walked in JC Penney where the girl’s mother was shopping. The girl’s mother confronted him and took the child back. 

Now, Youngkin is calling for an investigation into the Commonwealth’s Attorney, saying Jaldin was let out of jail days before the incident was caught on camera. 

“There is a shocking and unforgivable pattern in Fairfax County of releasing criminals back onto Virginia’s streets instead of keeping them behind bars. The Commonwealth’s Attorney cares more about protecting criminals than about keeping children safe,” Youngkin said on X Friday. “Fairfax County parents should be terrified,” Youngkin said.

Cacers Jaldin had more than 30 charges in Fairfax County. He was released from jail three days prior to the incident on personal recognizance, which means being released without having to pay for bail under the condition that he promises to appear at his next court appearance. 

Among the charges include violent cases of malicious wounding, assault and battery, and destruction property involving members in 2024. All of those charges were never prosecuted although it remains unclear why.

Sean Kennedy of Virginians for Safer Communities and Fairfax County Criminal Justice Advisory Board questions why the suspect was out in the first place and places the blame on the Commonwealth’s attorney’s office. 

“If he’s mentally ill or criminally violent, he doesn’t deserve to be on the streets because he’s demonstrated himself to be a threat to public safety,” Kennedy told WUSA9. “The judge’s obligation is to release if not proven otherwise, so, the burden of proof to see him not released is on Descano’s office.”

Regarding the investigation, Miryares said his office will “examine the facts.”

“Fairfax families do not deserve to live in a climate of fear because one person refuses to do his job,” Miyares said in his own X post.

WUSA9 has reached out to Descano’s office for comment and will update this story when we hear back. 

Miyares told WUSA9 that the same attorneys involved in the investigation of the parole board will be conducting the probe.