PATCHOGUE (WABC) — A man was arrested and accused of kidnapping a 4-year-old girl on Long Island, sparking a desperate search, police said.
The little girl was found safe.
Carlos Corte, 38, was arrested in Patchogue after allegedly kidnapping a girl from Laundry Kingdom, police said.
Police say a woman was at the laundromat with her two children when one of them was led out of a door by Corte.
The 4-year-old girl walked out just after noon on Saturday, according to police.
Court documents revealed that Corte took “her to a second location without the authority or permission of her parents thus causing a substantial risk of danger to her life or health.”
The young girl was found in a children’s play area at the Patchogue Medford Library which is located in a neighboring shopping center.
The Library Director Danielle DeMicco released a statement saying in part, “Upon recognizing that the child was not accompanied by a responsible caregiver, staff immediately engaged with those present, alerted supervisory personnel, and began following procedures, including preparing to contact local authorities.”
Within a few minutes the child was reunited with her mother.
Corte is facing kidnapping charges and was released on supervised release with an ankle monitor, police said.
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