NEW YORK CITY — A 6-year-old boy is safe thanks to the quick actions of his parents after an alleged kidnapping attempt in Coney Island during the Fourth of July weekend.
Police have arrested Jonathan Robalino, 36, who now faces charges of assault and attempted kidnapping following the terrifying incident. According to the NYPD, the boy was walking with his parents on a crowded sidewalk when Robalino allegedly picked him up and began running toward the boardwalk.
“When I turned around, I noticed a man pick him up and run by way of the boardwalk,” said the boy’s father, Roy Gantt, in an interview with WABC. “Once he saw us chasing him, he threw [my son] down. It sounded like he hit his head on the concrete.”
The child, identified as Rah’Shem, was evaluated at a nearby hospital and later released with no serious injuries.
Gantt and the boy’s mother managed to tackle Robalino and restrain him until police arrived, just minutes later.
The NYPD described Robalino as “emotionally disturbed.” The investigation remains ongoing.
