The man tried to abduct 3-year-old girl who was riding on a pink scooter through the streets of Queens, and then broke into the nearest house and put a knife to the throat of a woman.
According to NY Daily News police on may 20, the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Lester Augusto, approached the child while she was riding on the sidewalk with his mother on 104th Avenue in Jamaica. According to witnesses, they were returning from sosednego the Park when the attack occurred. Augusto tried to grab the girl, but ran away after the mother and passers-by stopped him.
«He was not himself. He tried to pull the little girl from her mother, said 32-year-old chef Jonathan Depina. — He reached into his back pocket for a gun, knife or something else. Thank God, I was there. He saw me, I looked at him and he ran away.»
After a failed kidnapping Augusto ran into the house in the same quarter, and then got to the apartment, where there was an unlocked door and held a knife to the throat of a 61-year-old teacher. The victim told the Daily News that at the time was preparing for the final evening of his nephew, but suddenly heard a noise.
«He grabbed me by the neck and was holding a knife, the woman said. — He spoke Spanish, which I don’t understand. He repeated: «not the police, Not the police»».
She said that Augusto put a knife to her throat and dragged him to the kitchen, and then into the living room. He blocked the back door with furniture and wanted to do the same with the front door.
«I couldn’t scream. He would cut my throat, recalls the teacher. — Fortunately, God gave me the strength to remain calm and play along. I followed his example, otherwise it would have killed me.»
Neighbors learned of the incident and called the police. When the woman heard that the officers at the front door, she realized that she must act.
«I gently opened, and police noticed it. My jacket caught in the door. The door could not be closed,» she said. The officers immediately opened the door and quickly grabbed Augusto.
«His eyes were strange, and it is loud and fast. From him smelled alcohol or something else,» said the victim.
Augusto was arrested and taken to the 103rd precinct. He was charged with attempted kidnapping, burglary and threats.
According to prosecutors, the interrogation of Augusto gave a strange explanation of his actions: he allegedly thought he has a winning lottery ticket, so he ran into the woman’s house to call the police. His lawyer asked about the provision of health care.
