A man who was caught on surveillance video attempting to kidnap a 5-year-old boy also assaulted an officer while in police custody.
James McGonagle, 24, punched a New York Police Department officer in the face while he was being fingerprinted on Friday, officials said according to ABC 7.
McGonagle was arrested after surveillance video allegedly showed him attempting to kidnap a 5-year-old boy while the boy was walking in Queens.
According to ABC 4, McGonagle was not working alone, but a second suspect has not been publicly identified.
He was charged with attempted kidnapping, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a tweet from the NYPD.
In the video, a man exits his car, runs to the boy, picks him up and quickly carries him back to his car.
The man puts the boy into the backseat of his vehicle while the boy’s mother and family attempt to get the boy out the car. One of them pulls the boy out of the passenger side window and the man speeds off as onlookers try to stop him.
Diaz Lopez, the boy’s mother, told ABC 7 she was walking with her children to go visit her husband at work.
She said her son initially sat down, but later stood up when she and her kids pleaded for the man to give him back.
Diaz said that all her children are traumatized after the event.
“The car was just parked there. I would never have imagined that a man would get out of the car and grab my son. You always have to be aware of your surroundings and not be on your phone,” she told ABC 7.
“Always hold their hand when walking with them, because there are a lot of evil people and you never know who is near.”
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