A chilling video captures the moment a masked man attempted to abduct a six-year-old Hasidic Jewish boy from his father’s arms in broad daylight on a Brooklyn sidewalk, Saturday, November 9.
The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. in Crown Heights, as the father walked with his two sons.
The attacker, dressed in a blue and white letterman jacket, suddenly approached and tried to snatch the child. The masked assailant briefly lifted the boy off the ground, but the father quickly pulled him back, preventing the kidnapping.
In response, the father punched the suspect in the stomach, causing him to flee on foot. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. Police have confirmed the arrest of the suspect, and an investigation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for Shomrim, a neighborhood patrol serving New York City’s Jewish community, noted that there was no verbal exchange between the attacker and the victims during the assault. The motive behind the attempt remains unclear.
Yaacov Behrman, a Chabad PR representative, shared the video on social media, writing, “This video is shocking. Something is clearly going on in Crown Heights—there have been multiple incidents over the past two weeks.”
Crown Heights, home to a significant ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, has experienced several unprovoked violent attacks in recent times.