Northern Territory Police say they have found and arrested the man alleged to have abducted Kumanjayi Little Baby.
On Thursday night, NT Police said Jefferson Lewis, 47, was located and arrested at Charles Creek Camp, on the northern edge of Mparntwe / Alice Springs.
Locals have reported he was attacked by residents and beaten before his arrest.
Mr Lewis was hospitalised and videos shared on social media on Thursday night show a large and angry crowd gathered outside the hospital. It has been reported by locals that NT Police have used tear gas to disperse the people.
In one video members of the crowd can be heard calling out: "Bring that motherf***er out", "Shoot him", "F****g shoot the c**t", "Bring him out here", "Bring him for us".
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NT Police had previously put out an arrest warrant for Mr Lewis after a five-year-old girl, who the family has asked be referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby, was reported missing on Sunday morning.
A large manhunt ensued after he was seen holding hands with Kumanjayi in the Aboriginal town camp of Old Timers, on the outskirts of Mparntwe/Alice Springs, on Saturday night before she was put to bed.
She was reported missing at 1.30am on Sunday morning.
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Police believe he likely kidnapped the young girl, whose body was found on Thursday afternoon.
He had been released from prison just six days earlier and had an extensive criminal history.
Between 2016 and 2025, he was sentenced to 64 months in prison for offences including aggravated assault, breaching domestic violence orders, bail offences and resisting police.
After his release, Mr Lewis was told to go to Lajamanu, where he has family. It is understood he was not welcome back in the remote community of Yuendumu — two-and-a-half hours north-west of Alice Springs — because of his offending.
Rather than travel to Lajamanu, a dry community 560km south-west of Katherine, it is understood he went to Old Timers to see extended family.
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