Police are searching for a woman suspected of trying to forcibly grab a 4-year-old boy off a sidewalk in Crown Heights. The attempt failed, and the woman ran off down Utica Avenue before officers could catch her.
According to News 12 Brooklyn, officers say the woman attempted to grab the boy by force in front of 1133 Eastern Parkway before she was unsuccessful and took off running down Utica Avenue. That address is listed as a one-story commercial building, with nearby transit listed as the 3/4 at Utica Avenue, under 500 feet away, according to building listings on StreetEasy, putting the attempted abduction near one of Crown Heights' busiest commercial and transit crossroads.
Police have urged anyone who recognizes the woman or knows her whereabouts to come forward, per the same report. It remains unclear whether the woman and the boy knew each other or whether this was a stranger encounter, and investigators have not publicly released a detailed description or surveillance images of the suspect.
Precinct Covers the Scene, Two Blocks From the Attempt
The stretch of Eastern Parkway where the attempt happened falls under the jurisdiction of the NYPD's 77th Precinct, headquartered at 127 Utica Avenue, according to the NYPD. The precinct covers northern Crown Heights and parts of Prospect Heights, the dense central Brooklyn area that spans about 1.4 square miles and is home to roughly 143,000 residents along Frederick Law Olmsted's historic Eastern Parkway, per background compiled on Wikipedia.
The woman's quick flight down Utica Avenue put her path near major transit infrastructure. It is not known whether investigators have recovered or reviewed any such footage from nearby locations.
Potential Charges if a Suspect Is Identified
If the woman is caught, she could face Kidnapping in the Second Degree under New York Penal Law § 135.20, a Class B violent felony carrying up to 25 years in prison, according to legal analysis from FindLaw. Prosecutors in similar street cases involving children may also add a charge of Endangering the Welfare of a Child under Penal Law § 260.10, punishable by up to a year in jail, per Tilem & Associates.
Anyone with information can contact NYPD Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-577-TIPS or online, with rewards of up to $3,500 available for tips leading to an arrest and indictment, a channel Hoodline has previously relayed in a Grand Avenue robbery case within the same precinct.
The Crown Heights Investigation
Eastern Parkway is the location of the current investigation. The 77th Precinct itself has drawn scrutiny over civil misconduct claims.
Broader citywide crime trends provide context for the case. Missing-child cases statewide are also part of the broader context. It is not known how the Crown Heights case will be classified as the investigation continues.
