A harrowing scene unfolded in Brooklyn’s Coney Island on Sunday night when a man suddenly grabbed a 6-year-old boy off the street—only to be chased down and tackled by the child’s parents, authorities said.
The shocking attempted kidnapping, caught on video, took place as families were enjoying the final hours of the holiday weekend near the bustling boardwalk.
Roy Gantt and Sharon Robinson were with their children when their son, Rah’Shem Gantt, was suddenly snatched by a man dressed in all black and wearing a tall hat. The suspect carried the boy only a few steps before hurling him to the ground when the parents noticed and sprinted after him.
“When I turned around, I saw a man picking him up and heading toward the boardwalk,” Roy Gantt recalled. “Once he saw us chasing him, he threw Rah’Shem down. It sounded like he hit his head on the concrete.”
Despite the chaos, the parents caught up with the suspect and held him down for several minutes until police arrived. Onlookers stayed behind to comfort the crying boy and his younger sister while the couple restrained the man.
“At first, officers thought we were attacking someone,” Gantt said. “But we had 10 to 15 people come forward and back us up.”
Sharon Robinson, who helped hold the suspect down, said, “I had my foot on his chest. I didn’t have the heart to hurt him. Violence isn’t my way.”
The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Jonathan Robalino, was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping and assault. Police say he has a prior history with law enforcement and remains in custody.
“It was terrifying,” young Rah’Shem said. Thankfully, he was evaluated at Coney Island Hospital and found to be in good health.
“It was just shocking. I’m a mother myself, so we all ran over to help,” said bystander Nora Smiles, who witnessed the incident unfold.
Though his son is physically unharmed, Roy Gantt says the emotional toll has been heavy: “He says he never wants to go back to Coney Island again.”
