The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has identified the man suspected of kidnapping nine-year-old St Thomas native Phylisa Prussia and are now intensifying efforts to locate them on Friday (October 15).

Speaking on radio, head of the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Stephanie Lindsay said the person of interest is 45-year-old Davian Bryan.

According to SSP Lindsay, Bryan was implicated in a knife attack on a woman just before young Phylisa was abducted.

“Some minutes after 7:00 last night, a female came to the [Bath] police station and reported that she was at home along with her spouse when she was attacked by a man with a knife,” Lindsay said.

A struggle reportedly ensued and the woman was assisted by her spouse. The woman was, however, cut before Bryan fled the scene.

“This was a female who came to the station and identified the man as Davion Bryan, who is known to her,” the CCU head added.

Lindsay continued that in the process of filing the first police report, Phylisa’s mother burst through the station seeking help to locate her daughter.

“While the police treating with that matter, a female, Phylisa’s mom, ran to the station and said her daughter was at home and she can’t find her. So they took her report and started searching for her with members of the community,” the senior cop explained.

The manhunt to locate the missing child and her kidnapper went on for the remainder of the night with no success, Lindsay added.

“They are currently still searching for him; I don’t know if he is originally from the community but we understand he is from Portland,” she said.

SSP Lindsay noted that Bryan has a charge of illegal possession of firearm in Portland and is out on bail on the condition he reports to the Bath Police Station.

Now-viral CCTV footage shows a man holding a child fitting Phylisa’s description by the neck. He was also sporting a knife in his right hand, consistent with the earlier attack which was reported to the police.

• READ MORE: Desperate search on for missing St Thomas child; CCTV shows moment girl was taken