A masked man has been arrested after attempting to kidnap a six-year-old Jewish boy in broad daylight as he walked to synagogue with his father in Brooklyn, New York.
Stephen Sowe, 28, was apprehended on Sunday following the shocking incident which occurred around 3.30pm on Saturday on Kingston Avenue in the Crown Heights neighbourhood.
The suspect, who has 33 prior arrests, was charged with attempted kidnapping and is being held without bail following his Monday evening arraignment.
Chilling security camera footage captured the moment Sowe attempted to snatch the young boy from his father’s grasp, pulling with such force that the child’s feet left the ground.
The masked man was seen on CCTV approaching the family
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The father, who was holding hands with his two sons at the time, managed to maintain his grip on his son despite the forceful attempt.
The quick-thinking dad then punched the would-be abductor in the stomach.
According to a representative from Shomrim, a volunteer neighbourhood patrol serving NYC’s Jewish community, no words were exchanged during the incident.
Sowe, identified as a member of the G-Stone Crips gang, has an extensive criminal history including weapons possession, drug offences and domestic violence.
Some 25 of his prior arrests remain sealed, according to sources quoted in local media.
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The brave dad managed to maintain his grip on his son
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In 2013, Sowe was arrested for an antisemitic hate crime after harassing a Jewish man wearing a kippah on the subway.
He was also arrested in April 2023 for possession of two pistols, a rifle, multiple rounds of ammunition, drugs, a credit card skimmer and a police radio in his apartment.
Sowe was separately charged with criminal possession of a weapon in 2019.
Most recently, Sowe was charged with attempting to strangle his girlfriend during a heated argument in August 2023.
According to court documents, he became “verbally and physically aggressive” during a dispute over his mobile phone.
After refusing to leave his girlfriend’s apartment, Sowe kicked through her door and attempted to strangle her on top of a dresser whilst trying to lock her in the room.
The shaken father then had to face down the would-be assailant in front of his children
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Prosecutors charged him with third-degree assault and various misdemeanours including criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and harassment.
He was released on his own recognisance following his arraignment.
The family has revealed that Sowe was their neighbour, with the child’s mother describing him as someone who had always appeared friendly.
“He’d always hold the door, he always was nice,” the mother told ABC7.
The mother, who remains unnamed, said locals suggested Sowe may have been having a “bad day” prior to the incident.
“I don’t think it was a hate crime, but it was scary. It was like a scary incident. When you live in New York, you don’t expect someone to attack a six-year-old and take him away from his parents,” she added.