Brooklyn Dad Praises Cop Wife for Fending Off Kidnapping Attempt

A father in Brooklyn has hailed his wife, an off-duty police officer, as a hero after she successfully prevented a woman from attempting to kidnap their 4-year-old son. This alarming incident unfolded earlier this week while the boy was with his grandmother.

“His mom pulled him away from her,” said Gentle Roberts about his wife, Anyia James Roberts, who is seven months pregnant. “She’s a strong woman. She’s back at work today.”

According to Gentle, the incident occurred outside a McDonald’s in Crown Heights, where the young boy was playing with his grandmother when a stranger tried to snatch him by his shirt.

“She was saying, ‘That’s my kid!’ more than once,” Roberts recounted. “The lady grabbed him by his shirt, and she wouldn’t let go. They were struggling, and my son started crying.”

Roberts noted that the woman did not appear homeless; she was clean and even had a phone, which raised further questions since they had never seen her before.

The unsettling encounter took place around 5 p.m. near East Parkway and Utica Avenue. It was at this point that Anyia intervened, stepping in as both a protective mother and an officer.

Fortunately, the mother was able to grab her son from the woman, who then fled the scene. The boy was scared and crying but otherwise unharmed, and he returned to school the following day.

Police are actively searching for the suspect, having released surveillance images to assist in the investigation. They have urged anyone with information to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline.

“I want them to catch her because if she didn’t get him, she could come back,” Gentle expressed his concerns. “She might try to grab someone else. She’s definitely not right. I’d tell her to turn herself in; they’re looking for you.”