A Brooklyn woman sits in police custody after officers say she tried to rip a 4-year-old boy away from his grandmother outside a Crown Heights McDonald’s, only for the boy’s pregnant, off-duty police officer mother to pull him to safety.
Quick Take
- Chrissy Payne, 47, was arrested Friday night on charges of attempted kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child.
- The incident happened around 5 p.m. on September 14 outside a McDonald’s on Eastern Parkway near Utica Avenue in Crown Heights.
- The boy’s off-duty New York Police Department officer mother, who is pregnant, stepped in and pulled him to safety.
- No one was physically hurt during the attempted kidnapping.
- Police spent nearly a week hunting for the suspect using released photos before making the arrest.
What Happened Outside the McDonald’s
The boy stood with his 66-year-old grandmother outside the fast-food restaurant on Eastern Parkway near Utica Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, when a stranger grabbed him. Police say the woman forcefully pulled the child away from his grandmother and dragged him across the street before the attempt failed.
The suspect fled down Utica Avenue after she could not get away with the boy, according to police. Investigators say the child was not physically harmed in the attack, though his family described him as shaken by the experience.
An Off-Duty Officer Steps In
The boy’s mother, an off-duty New York Police Department officer, was nearby and rushed to save her son from the stranger’s grip. Her husband told reporters his wife acted fast despite being pregnant, calling her a “strong mom” for stepping in without hesitation to pull their child free from danger.
The grandmother also fought back during the struggle, refusing to let go of the boy as the stranger tried to pull him away. Family members say the quick actions of both women stopped the attempted kidnapping before it could go any further.
Search Leads to Arrest
Police released photos of the suspect just days after the attack and asked the public for help finding her. The New York Police Department identified the woman as Chrissy Payne, 47, of Brooklyn, and tracked her down nearly a week after the attempted kidnapping.
Officers arrested Payne on Friday night. She now faces charges of attempted kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child, both tied directly to the confrontation outside the McDonald’s.
Why Stranger Abduction Cases Draw So Much Attention
Stranger abductions like this one are rare compared to other crimes against children, yet they tend to draw far more media coverage than more common cases involving family members. Researchers who study child abduction reporting have found this pattern repeats across many high-profile cases nationwide.
That gap between how often these crimes happen and how much attention they get can shape public fear. For families watching this case unfold in Brooklyn, the outcome offers a rare moment of relief: a fast police response, a swift arrest, and a child who returned home safely.
Sources:
brooklyn.news12.com, nypost.com, nydailynews.com, abc7ny.com, amny.com, cbsnews.com
