A kidnapper who managed to evade police while disguised as an elderly woman was caught thanks in part to the cab driver she hailed while making her escape.

The 40-something woman, surnamed Liu, was taken into custody near her home in Xinxiang, Central China's Henan Province on Monday on charges of child abduction.

Officers had been on the lookout for a middle-aged woman with a 3-year old boy, surnamed Lian, who was reported missing after he had wandered off from his family's home in Huixian that morning.

The suspect then traveled with the child by bus to Xinxiang, 30 kilometers away.

But on the way to the bus station, a taxi driver she hailed snapped a photo of her after sensing something was wrong.

"The cabbie said the child wouldn't stop crying and the woman seemed at a loss of what to do," police said. 

Police eventually identified Liu and tracked her back to her home in Xinxiang.

However, by that time Liu had cut her hair, bleached it white and was dressing the part of an elderly woman.

To further confuse officers, Liu also had disguised the toddler with a girl's dress.

Zhengzhou Evening Post