Serial child abductor sought after she attempted to snatch baby and stroller from nanny in Manhattan in broad daylight

Police are circulating a mugshot of a woman suspected in an attempted kidnapping

Tara Anne McDonald, 46, is accused of trying to snatch an eight-month-old baby boy from his nanny in Manhattan

A witness intervened and McDonald was last seen fleeing down Eighth Avenue in Chelsea

McDonald has 12 prior arrests, including five for attempted kidnapping and two for actual kidnapping

She served more than a year in jail in 1998

Authorities say the woman may be homeless

Police are searching for a woman who allegedly tried to abduct a baby in a stroller from his nanny in Manhattan Thursday afternoon.



The NYPD has identified the woman as Tara Anne McDonald, 46, who has several prior arrests for similar crimes.



Police say the nanny was pushing the eight-month-old baby boy in a stroller down Eighth Avenue near 17th Street in the Chelsea neighborhood when she was approached by McDonald.

Suspect: Police released this mugshot of Tara Anne McDonald, 46, who is suspected of attempting to kidnap an eight-month-old baby boy from his nanny



McDonald reportedly began mumbling at the nanny and then tried to pull the stroller away from her. McDOnald acted as though the baby was hers, witnesses said, screaming and yelling at the nanny to give her the baby. Identified: The nanny helped police create this sketch of suspect who was later identified as Tara McDonald

A UPS driver, William Marte, witnessed the ensuing struggle and ran to the aid of the nanny.



'She grabbed the stroller by the handle, and without no reason, starts saying "Give me my baby,"' Marte told ABC. 'I told the lady, "Leave her alone, get off, are you out of your mind? "'



McDonald eventually fled the scene, disappearing south on Eighth Avenue.



The baby, said Marte, was unhurt in the struggle and slept through the entire ordeal.



Police have released a photograph of the suspect and say she has 12 prior arrests for similar crimes. She served more than a year in prison for an attempted kidnapping in 1998.



Other charges include five attempted kidnappings, two actual kidnappings, robbery, disorderly conduct, felony asault, petit larceny and DWI, reports CBS.



On Friday afternoon, police distributed flyers of McDonald's mugshot around Chelsea.



Search: Police are canvassing the area where McDonald is accused of trying to snatch a baby boy

Some locals recognized her from the shot.



'She's a local crazy. I seen her on the corner here a couple of times, not recently but maybe a month ago,' Chelsea worker Yancy Matson told ABC.

