A city Department of Education employee was arrested Thursday, Nov. 16, and charged with attempted kidnapping and other crimes for allegedly trying to abduct a 15-year-old girl who was walking to school in Cambria Heights on Nov. 15, according to authorities.
Detectives from the 105th Precinct went to the home of 32-year-old Yogeshwar Narine just as he was parking his black SUV in front of his residence and took him into custody without further incident, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the case.
The maintenance worker was positively identified from a photo array by the victim, whose harrowing ordeal began at around 8:20 a.m. on Nov. 15 as she was heading to school and encountered Narine, who was standing alongside his black SUV in the vicinity of Francis Lewis Boulevard and 113th Road, according to the NYPD.
Narine allegedly tried to talk with the teenager and proceeded to grab her and tried to force her into the vehicle, but she broke free and ran from the scene, police said. Narine jumped into the SUV and sped away from the location, but not before a surveillance camera captured an image of the SUV leaving the scene.
Detectives tracked Narine’s home address through ownership records, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told QNS. The victim did not know Narine, police said.
Narine was booked at the 105th Precinct just after 7 p.m. on Nov. 16, where he was charged with attempted kidnapping, luring a child, attempted unlawful imprisonment and attempted endangering the welfare of a child, according to the NYPD.
“Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students,” DOE spokeswoman Jenna Lyle said in a statement to QNS. “This alleged behavior extremely concerning. This employee has been reassigned pending the outcome of the arrest and if convicted, we will pursue termination.”
Narine’s arraignment in Queens Criminal Court is pending.
