Alleged attempted kidnapper on Coney Island street throws 6-year-old as parents chase him down
CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A man is in custody after he snatched a 6-year-old child off the street in Coney Island and threw the boy at his parents when they chased after him, the NYPD says.
On Sunday night, the streets were filled with people enjoying the final hours of a holiday weekend.
Roy Gantt, Sharon Robinson, and their son Rah'Shem Gantt were looking to buy popcorn at the corner of Stillwell and Surf when a stranger -- dressed head-to-toe in black and wearing a tall hat -- suddenly grabbed Rah'Shem, throwing him to the ground as his parents pursued.
The incident was captured on video.
"When I turned around, I noticed a man pick him up and run by way of the boardwalk. Once he saw us chasing him, he threw (Rah'Shem) down. It sounded like he hit his head on the concrete," Roy Gantt said.
Gantt said he and the boy's mother chased the man and pinned him down for about four minutes until police arrived.
"That was someone who attempted to kidnap my son, then assaulted him," Gantt said.
"It was scary," Rah'Shem said.
The crowded streets were full of witnesses, and several stayed with the crying boy and his toddler sister while his parents ran after the suspect and pinned him.
"The cops came and thought we were jumping on somebody for no reason. We had 10,15 people come up and vouch for us," Roy Gantt said.
"I had my foot on his chest to hold him down. I didn't have the heart to stomp him," Robinson said. "Violence is not my way."
Police charged 36-year-old Jonathan Robalino with assault and attempted kidnapping.
"It was just shocking. I'm a mother myself so we all ran over to see what was happening," bystander Nora Smiles recalled.
Police said the suspect has had prior interactions with police and remains in custody.
The 6-year-old was deemed healthy after being examined at Coney Island Hospital, although his father says he never wants to return to Coney Island again.
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