by Krystal Paco

Guam - Less than 24-hours after pictures and video of a woman punching a baby circulated online, police were able to make an arrest.   

It was a surprise attack from behind.   

"Yesterday we were at Micronesia Mall and I was going to meet my husband and my son who were at the arcade. When I walked into the arcade all of a sudden someone came from behind me and punched my daughter who was looking back towards me directly in the face making her fall forward," he said, Alyssa Esser.

The victim was her daughter, 10-month-old Alexya Esser.

Although Alexya was all smiles today, remnants of yesterday's bruising and swelling to her eye remain. Mother Alyssa is still stunned by the surprise attack.

"She just punched her directly in the face for no reason. I've never seen the woman before. We hadn't talked to anyone. We have no idea why she would hit our daughter."

Arcade staff chased after the suspect, but lost sight of her near the parking garage stairway.

But she wouldn't be free for long. Alyssa and her husband Fred posted the surveillance footage of the incident online. They also contacted KUAM News to help and last night we posted the video on all of our social media properties leading to the woman's arrest early this afternoon.

Officer Paul Tapao with the Guam Police Department said, "At around 1:45pm officers from the CID division arrested Yu Hua Han. She's 44 years of age. She was arrested for the offenses of aggravated assault, assault, child abuse and child endangerment."

Tapao says the community played a big role in Han's arrest. Han was located today at her place of work, Oriental Therapy Massage, just across the street from the Micronesia Mall.

"With the public outcry and with the help of social media, officers were assisted by superior court probation officers in identifying the suspect," he said.

KUAM News files show Han is the same woman who stabbed a baby back in 2009 outside Lonestar Steakhouse in Tamuning. The 23-month-old was stabbed in the thigh and the baby's father in the chest as he was trying to stop the attack. Both baby and father were treated for their injuries at Naval Hospital.

But were the attacks coincidence?

The mother of the baby from the 2009 stabbing reached out to the Essers today.

Alyssa said, "The woman who sent us the message said she recognized the woman it looked exactly the same woman and she said that her baby looked exactly like Alexya had blonde hair and blue eyes and the two babies she said could be sisters."

It appears the 2009 case could have been expunged as the court could not confirm or deny the availability of records related to the case.

The AG's Office also did not have records for the case while Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness deputy director Peter Alexis Ada tells KUAM he could not confirm whether Han is a consumer at their agency.

Han is scheduled to appear before a magistrate's judge this weekend where more information on her priors should be available. Until then, the Essers who have called Guam home the last four years extend their gratitude to the local community.

"I also want to say thank you," said Fred. "There's been such a positive response on Facebook. So many times threads turn into negative. People talking ignorance and hate. We've been fortunate."