A 6-year-old Brooklyn boy was injured Sunday night time after a person sporting a fez allegedly tried to abduct him on a busy sidewalk in Coney Island, based on police and witnesses.
The incident occurred round 9:56 p.m. close to the intersection of Surf Avenue and Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn. Police mentioned the suspect, 36-year-old Jonathan Robalino, grabbed the kid off the sidewalk and tried to flee with him. The kid, recognized as Rah’Shem “Rah’Rah” Gantt, was later handled at Coney Island Hospital for minor accidents and listed in secure situation, officers mentioned, based on the New York Publish.
“It was simply stunning,” mentioned Nora Smiles, who witnessed the incident. “I’m a mom myself, so I– all of us ran over to see what occurred.”
Video obtained by Freedomnews exhibits a person wearing all black, together with a tall fez-style or chef’s hat, scooping the boy up with one arm as he trailed behind his mother and father. The footage exhibits the suspect tossing the kid to the bottom as soon as the mother and father gave chase.
“I see this man holding my son like a soccer, a whole stranger,” mentioned Sharon Robinson, the boy’s mom. “If Rah’Rah hadn’t made that loud scream, that man would have taken him and carried out no matter he wished to do with him, perhaps take him underneath the boardwalk and rape him and kill him.”
Robinson mentioned the household had spent the night having fun with the seashore and amusement park rides earlier than the incident. Gantt was working forward whereas Robinson was shopping for popcorn when the suspect allegedly seized him.
“I assume by flinging him down, he will need to have thought that I used to be not going to run to him,” Robinson mentioned, including, “I used to be.”
The footage exhibits each mother and father working after Robalino, who fled into the road as vehicles handed by the intersection. The chase ended when Robinson pushed him down close to the IT’SUGAR sweet retailer.
“This man’s on the bottom for 2 minutes with out anybody handcuffing him,” she mentioned. Police briefly restrained Robinson earlier than witnesses clarified the state of affairs. Officers from a close-by submit then took Robalino into custody, based on police sources.
Gantt, who’s from Queens, was inconsolable after the incident, Robinson mentioned. “After they bought to the emergency room, he was nonetheless crying,” she mentioned. “We didn’t do nothing to this man. We by no means noticed this man earlier than, ever.”
Robinson referred to as for the utmost penalty: “I need full prices on him. I need him to have a felony.”
Robalino was charged with assault and tried kidnapping.
