A Brooklyn man was taken into custody after allegedly attempting to kidnap a six-year-old boy before being thwarted by the victim's parents.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday night on Coney Island, was recorded on video showing the would-be kidnapper lifting the boy off a busy sidewalk. However, the boy then screams loudly, notifying his parents of what was happening and forcing his mother to chase after the suspect.
Arrest of Suspect in Attempted Kidnapping
The boy's mother was identified as 41-year-old Sharon Robinson, who saw her child, Rah'Shem "Rah'Rah" Gantt, being carried like a football by a complete stranger. She said that if her son did not make a nightmarish scream, the suspect could have taken him away and done whatever he wanted to do with him, including raping and killing him.
Read more: Criminals Now Using AI To Replicate Kids' Voices and Use Them in Kidnap for Ransom Schemes
The suspect, identified as a 36-year-old man, was seen clad in black from head to toe and wearing a striking tall hat. On Monday, he was awaiting charges after police said he grabbed the six-year-old boy shortly before 10:00 p.m. near the corner of Stillwell and Surf avenues, according to the New York Post.
At the time of the incident, Robinson said that she, her son Gantt, her daughter, and her husband spent an evening together at the beach. They also went on rides on the Wonder Wheel and other attractions at the amusement park.
Chasing Down the Suspect
The mother said that her son kept running around excitedly as she tried to get him some popcorn because he was craving it. That was when the suspect took his chance to scoop up the young boy from the busy sidewalk before being chased down by Robinson.
One witness at the scene, Nora Smiles, who called herself "The Sneaker Lady," had a shop that was right next to where the incident took place. She said that the boy was trailing his parents shortly before the suspect grabbed him, Fox News reported.
Smiles said that the man suddenly came in and tried to cut Gantt off, and the six-year-old boy was seen trying to spin the man off of him. But when the boy's parents chased down the suspect, he threw the child to the ground and ran into an intersection before being caught.
Following the incident, the young boy was transferred to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries that he sustained after being thrown to the ground. Fortunately, he is expected to physically recover, as per NBC New York.
