Mother takes kidnapper's gun and tries to shoot him after son abducted

Leslie Bamaca and her son Mateo Alejandro Montufar-Barrera were on an afternoon walk when a kidnapper snatched her son from his pram. Photo / Supplied

A US mother has been hailed a "hero" after she desperately tried to fight off kidnappers who snatched her son from his stroller at gunpoint on Saturday.

Leslie Bama and her son Mateo Alejandro Montufar-Barrera were on an afternoon walk near their house in Georgia, when an armed man suddenly got out of a car and kidnapped her child.

The horrified mother tried to fight off the attacker, grabbing his gun and even trying to shoot him, but the weapon didn't go off, WSB-TV reported.

She managed to rip off a piece of his plaid shorts and took one of his red and black shoes.

Leslie Bamaca and her son Mateo Alejandro Montufar-Barrera were on an afternoon walk when a kidnapper snatched her son from his pram. Photo / Supplied

However, a second suspect then got out of the car's passenger seat and grabbed the child
with the pair fleeing the scene with Mateo.

The attack took place at 12.30pm on Saturday and around 6.30pm the child was found unharmed in Carroll County, FBI Atlanta said.

He was reunited with his mother at the Chamblee Police Department.

Two suspects have been arrested over the child's kidnapping after police pulled them over in a town nearby.

Bamaca told police she was walking Mateo in his stroller near their apartment when a man got out of an Acura SUV and pointed a gun at her.

Jessica Bamaca, the woman's sister, said she heard screams at 12.30pm and ran outside where she found Bamaca bleeding and crying.

She said her sister fought back like any mother would.

"She fought back with all her strength. She fought back until the last second," Jessica Bamaca told WSB-TV.

"She put herself in front of that car. She ran behind that car. She did all she could."

But as Bamaca fought one suspect, the other took her son.

"We have no idea who they are. It's the first time we've seen them," Jessica told the network.

Another suspect got out of the car and grabbed her son. Photo / Supplied

"We don't know where they came from. We don't know what their intentions were."

Jessica, who lives with her sister, nephew and the child's father Erick Montufar, said the next five hours while Mateo was missing was a "nightmare" — until they finally received news he had been found.

"I thank God for the opportunity to see him again," Jessica said.

She said they are grateful toward all the people who helped find Mateo.

The suspects have not been named and the FBI has since taken over the investigation.

Many have taken to social media to applaud the mother's bravery.

"This momma is badass! She took his gun, ripped off part of his shorts and got his shoe! What a fighter!" one Twitter user said. "So glad the baby was found safe and two are in custody."

"Amazing! I used to have vivid aggressive realistic daydreams about what I would do to someone if they tried to snatch my baby from me. They've dissipated over time but there's a reason the term "Mama Bear" exists and that Mama Bear did so well!" added another.

"Mothers are heroes," a third person wrote.