A Brooklyn place of worship was the scene of the attempted kidnapping, police said, but the child’s mother stepped in just in time to prevent the situation from getting any worse.
The incident occurred Wednesday morning at the Gravesend Synagogue. Police said a man entered and tried to drag the boy out of the building.
Rabbi Aron Rankley of the Hesed Le Avraham Synagogue recreated what happened this morning when a stranger approached a 9-year-old boy.
“I was right at the entrance to the synagogue,” said Lankley. “He came here and started talking to the child…if the child didn’t listen, grabbed his arm and started walking towards the exit.”
At that time, the boy’s mother confronted the man who was leaving the synagogue with her son. A law enforcement source told News 4 that the suspect was a member of the Jewish community and was known to police.
“Mom asked, ‘Do you know this boy?’ He said no. Mom said, ‘What are you doing?’ And he just ran,” Rankley said.
Rankley applauded the boy’s mother for doing what she had to do to protect her son.
“The child was shocked and the mother was standing by the front door,” said the rabbi.
The synagogue’s cameras caught everything, so Lankley was able to provide the police with a clear picture of the kidnapper. He said the police were able to make an arrest.
“It’s hard to be a prophet today. You know what I’m talking about,” Lankley said with a laugh. “I can’t read minds, but actions are expressions of concern.”
Charges against the suspect are still pending, but the person has not been identified. Police have not yet identified a motive.
