The Chinese national suspected of pouring hot coffee on a baby in a Brisbane park had “brain issues” and was out for revenge, it has been claimed.
Luka was with his mom in Hanlon Park on August 27 when a man who the family had never met poured hot coffee on the baby before fleeing.
The tot was taken to hospital with serious burns and has since been released – but will have lifelong injuries as a result.
The man drove to New South Wales the day after the alleged attack and fled from Sydney Airport on August 31.
Queensland Police have since put an arrest warrant out for the man for intending to cause grievous bodily harm.
The maximum penalty for the crime carries a life sentence.
The suspected attacker has now been identified by Chinese media as a 33-year-old Chinese national who was in Australia on a student visa.
Chinese media has now reported that the man had been on various visas since arriving in Australia in 2019, first using a working holiday visa and then switching to a student visa.
He has lived in a number of locations on Australia’s east coast and previously worked in a meat processing plant.
However when his most recent visa application was rejected the suspect was reportedly furious and he allegedly sought to take out his anger on baby Luka.
“Finally, he vented his anger and [allegedly] hurt a baby before leaving Australia,” reported China’s New Tang Dynasty Television.
A person claiming to be a co-worker of the suspect said he had a “brain problem” on Chinese social media.
“On the mainland social media ‘Little Red Book’, a Chinese person in Australia who claimed to know him, broke the news that this man has always been weird and difficult to deal with,” added NTD Television.
“He has been working in a meat factory with a study permit for a long time. Later, the meat factory did not require a study permit.”
The TV station added that Luke was “probably [attacked] to take revenge on the white people.”
Police say the suspect has no family or criminal record in Australia and had previously worked in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
Chinese media are reporting that he was born in Hangzhou, China.
“Queensland Police are working with national and international partner agencies to progress this investigation further,” a statement from Queensland Police said.
Speaking to 4BC Radio on Thursday morning, Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Massingham said police were “very much committed” to arresting the man.
“Our international search continues for the person that committed that horrendous crime,” he said.
“That child will have those injuries for life.”
Queensland Police Detective Inspector Paul Dalton previously revealed the man fled the country just 12 hours after they identified him.
“I was in the investigation center when we put a name to the face and it was a very happy room, only for us to do a check in 15 minutes and find out we’ve lost him,” he said.
“We’ve got 30 detectives working for me. They’re devastated that they missed this person by 12 hours.
“I was deflated, but that deflation quickly turns into determination and resilience to get the job done.”
A GoFundMe was quickly set up for baby Luka’s medical bills, with the campaign reaching almost $200,000.
Luka’s parents provided an update on his condition on September 26 on the fundraiser page, revealing he had just had his first bath back at home.
“Safe to say he had the time of his life,” his mom wrote.
“It’s a long road to recovery when it comes to scar management but the worst of it is over, and the outcome is far better than we ever imagined from those first initial few days.
“We now only have to attend outpatients once a week, big improvement from the twice a week general anaesthetic surgeries.”
His mother had previously written about how she hoped “one day justice will be served”.
“This horrific event should have never happened,” she said.