KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The headless body of a girl of about two years old was found beside Sungai Klang in Jalan Hishammuddin on Thursday night.

The body was discovered by a member of the public near the KTM station at about 9pm. It is learnt that the girl's head was found near her body.

Police believe the man who beheaded the girl jumped into the Klang River while attempting to evade capture and drowned.

"According to a witness, the suspect was seen carrying the girl towards the Klang River," said City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng.

"The witness also saw the suspect forcing the girl to lie down on the ground and using something to hit the victim on her head and neck," he said, adding that several passers-by who saw the incident rushed to try to save the girl but the suspect continued hitting her.

He added that the suspect then tried to flee by jumping into the river.

Police had earlier identified the suspect as a foreigner with dark complexion.

Police said someone saw the man taking the girl away from a shopping complex near Pudu Sentral. The child was at the shopping complex with her mother.