Man Tries To Kidnap Child, Good Samaritan Intervenes: New Haven Police

NEW HAVEN, CT — Early Monday morning, police responded to a domestic dispute in the area of Lighthouse Road and Townsend Avenue.

Officers arrived to find Leran Elbaz, 43, sitting in a vehicle; he was ordered out and detained, police said.

The on-scene officers learned that Elbaz, of New Haven, was the subject of several protective orders and had been arrested last week, also in a domestic dispute, police said.

The stipulations of the orders prohibited him from coming near or having contact with the victims, police said. On Monday, police said he arrived to the area, which violated the order.

An argument ensued and quickly "escalated when he began assaulting and choking one of the protected parties," police said.

Police said Elbaz then tried to "drag a juvenile into his vehicle before being stopped by a good Samaritan, who intervened and prevented further escalation."

Elbaz was charged with criminal attempt first-degree assault, two counts of first-degree unlawful restraint, two counts of risk of injury to a child, second-degree criminal attempt at kidnapping, three counts of violation of a protective order, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree strangulation, and tampering with a witness. He's being held on $750,000 bond.