פון YWN
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Frum Man Accused of Kidnapping Child In Flatbush Released
A frum man who was arrested in Flatbush on Wednesday following reports of him attempting to kidnap a young child from a shul, was released with nearly all charges dropped after the full picture of what occurred came to light.
Highly credible sources tell YWN that the man says he had been learning in the shul’s bais medrash (on East 7th Street between Kings Highway and Avenue R) for over an hour and when he was done, he attempted to leave, but found the lobby filled with women. As per halacha, he didn’t want to walk directly through a crowd of women and so he asked a young boy to hold his hand so he could get through without being meikel.
Security footage reviewed by YWN confirms the man’s version of the events that transpired.
The mother, seeing her child apparently being led away by a stranger, stopped him and asked who the man was, to which the child replied that he had no idea. Understandably, the mother grew very concerned and immediately called Flatbush Shomrim, who appropriately took the incident very seriously.
YWN published the story – though without any identifying details about the man – as the NYPD put out a bulletin warning that this man was wanted for an attempted abduction of a child, and such issues of serious concern to the community at large.
The family has not pressed charges, and most of the charges against the man have been dropped. Both the boy and his family are relieved that this was no more than a matter of miscommunication.
YWN has spoken to Flatbush Shomrim Executive Coordinator Bob Moskovitz about their response.
“When Flatbush Shomrim receives a phone call from a mother saying a man just attempted to abduct her young child, we respond and take the matter seriously. This is our responsibility to the community we work 24/7 to keep safe,” he says.
“When we arrived and interviewed the mother and a crying child, we instructed the mother to call the NYPD,” he explained. “The police responded and, after speaking to the mother and child, determined that this was a serious incident. They proceeded to locate the suspect, interviewed him, and placed him under arrest.”
“We would respond the same exact way if we were to receive such a call on any day – no matter the identity of the alleged perpetrator. We have a responsibility to the community, and we will continue to work to keep the community safe from crime of any nature.”
