Good Samaritans Thwart Man's Attempt To Kidnap Little Girl He Stalked & Threw In Car

QUEENS, NY — A New York City man is under arrest after a pair of good Samaritans prevented him from abducting an 11-year-old girl he stalked and ambushed on a city street.

Police said that around 8 A.M. on December 15, Relyn Estrada, a 40-year-old registered Level 1 sex offender, began following the child, who was heading to a program at an area intermediate school. He called out to her and then went on the attack when she tried to flee.

“She got tired and made it to this door, but the door wasn’t open, so that’s when he trapped her in between the gates and grabbed her,” Alex Salas told CBS2.

"He dragged her, and that's when he put her in the car," said Salas’ neighbor, Edwin Gonzalez, telling ABC7 that the child was screaming and “kicking like crazy.”

When Salas, armed with a bat, asked the struggling girl if she knew her captor she told him no and begged for help.

The men intervened and protected the girl, who wasn’t hurt during the incident, while making sure Estrada was taken into police custody. “No way in the world was I going to let him leave,” explained Salas.

Mark Almodovar said he “knew there was something wrong” with his cousin, Estrada, “because he didn’t look himself.” The concerned relative added, “I just wish that he gets help.”

Estrada underwent a psychological evaluation and was charged with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, and reckless endangerment. He previously served time in prison in 2001 for sexual assault and has over a dozen arrests on his record.

Read more: ABC7, QNS, CBS2