Alleged kidnapping attempt at Queens day care was ‘misunderstanding’: officials
Editor’s Note: A spokesperson for the day care center told PIX11 News the incident was a “misunderstanding,” and the person is the grandfather of another child at the center. The story has been updated.
FLUSHING, Queens (PIX11) – An alleged kidnapping attempt at a day care in Flushing on Monday was a “misunderstanding,” school officials announced Tuesday afternoon.
Police had launched an investigation after a man tried to pick up a 3-year-old girl at around 5 p.m.
The man entered the day care on Leavitt Street and allegedly told the day care staff he was picking up a child, said her name, and that her father was running 20 minutes late, according to authorities.
The staff wouldn’t release the child to him as he wasn’t listed as one of her emergency contacts, per police. Workers called the child’s parents and asked the man to leave. The man allegedly said he would wait outside for her before he left the scene, police said.
School officials released the following statement about the incident: “I would like to inform you that the incident has been resolved. It was a misunderstanding: the individual was here to pick up another child at our school. The child’s dad contacted us to clarify that the person was the child’s grandfather.”
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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