Man arrested for trying to kidnap a 6-year-old boy in Coney Island
The suspect, Jonathan Robalino, 36, was charged with attempted kidnapping and assault, according to the New York police
A man was arrested after allegedly trying to kidnap a 6-year-old boy from the sidewalk of the busy Coney Island in Brooklyn during the Fourth of July weekend, the New York Police Department (NYPD) reported.
The child, identified as Rah'Shem, was walking with his parents when the suspect, 36-year-old Jonathan Robalino, picked him up and ran across the boardwalk. When he realized the boy's father, Roy Gantt, was chasing him, Robalino threw the boy to the ground.
“When I turned around, I saw a man pick him up and run across the boardwalk. When he saw us chasing him, he threw him to the ground. It sounded like he hit his head on the concrete,” Gantt told ABC's WABC in New York.
The boy was taken to a local hospital and released without serious injuries. The parents were able to restrain Robalino until police arrived a few minutes later.
The NYPD described the suspect as “emotionally disturbed” and charged him with attempted kidnapping and assault.