61-Year-Old Man Tries To Grab Girl Walking To School: Police

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — A child walking to school in the city of Poughkeepsie was grabbed by a 61-year-old man Wednesday morning.

The City of Poughkeepsie Police PBA said on Facebook, around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, officers received a walk-in report of a 14-year-old girl was walking to school in the area of Carroll Street when she was grabbed by a man and escorted down the street.

Police said the child did not know the man.

Several witnesses said they tried to stop the man who told them he was a police officer and threatened to arrest them.

When confronted further, the man released the child and she was taken directly to police headquarters by one of the witnesses.

Police said the man was identified as a 61-year-old resident of the city of Poughkeepsie and was located by patrol units and juvenile detectives. The man was taken into custody.

After consultation with the district attorney’s office, the man was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree criminal impersonation and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.

He was arraigned in the City of Poughkeepsie Court and turned over to the New York State Police on an outstanding warrant.

The City of Poughkeepsie PBA said the man’s name was not released by the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department.