Who is Dolores Lopez? 'Hero' Queens mom saves son, 5, after kidnapper grabs him in front of her
A brave mother from Queens, New York, saved her 5-year-old son from getting kidnapped when an individual tried to snatch him from a sidewalk. The incident reported on Thursday, July 15, saw the mother walking with her son and other kids when an old maroon car pulled up near Myrtle and Hillside avenues in Richmond Hill.
According to the New York Post, the alleged kidnapper, who was later identified as James McGonagle, 24, tried taking away the kid in his four-wheeler but a prompt reaction from the mother, 45-year-old Dolores Diaz Lopez, saved her kid’s life. The mother quickly ran over to the car and pulled the boy out through an open window before the vehicle sped off.
McGonagle was later arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping, reckless endangerment and acting in a manner injurious to a child for allegedly trying to kidnap little Jacob Diaz, the NYPD said.
In a recent incident, four-year-old, Cash Gernon was kidnapped and murdered on May 15. The suspect in the case, 18-year-old Darriynn Brown was seen on CCTV footage. Brown ihas been charged with capital murder in the case.
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What really happened?
The footage shared by NYPD Crime Stoppers shows the kidnapper — McGonagle — dressed in a white tee-shirt, grey shorts and black shoes running toward the kid, picking him up and putting him in the backseat of his car. However, as the alleged kidnapper tried taking the driver’s seat, the mother pulled her son out from the car’s window.
According to the New York Post, cops revealed that there was another unknown man in the passenger seat during the terrifying incident. According to sources, Diaz Lopez was heading to her husband’s job to bring him food when the near-abduction occurred at 8:45 pm on July 15. The 5-year-old kid was reportedly not injured. The official Twitter account of NYPD Crime Stoppers shared the surveillance video and posted, “WANTED for ATT. KIDNAPPING: On Thurs, 7/15, at 8PM, in front of 117-02 Hillside Av in #Queens, the two perps (pictured) picked up & placed a 5 y/o victim in the back of their car. The victim’s mother retrieved her child through the window and the perp’s fled in the vehicle.”
🚨WANTED for ATT. KIDNAPPING: On Thurs, 7/15, at 8PM, in front of 117-02 Hillside Av in #Queens, the two perps (pictured) picked up & placed a 5 y/o victim in the back of their car. The victim’s mother retrieved her child through the window and the perp’s fled in the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/0NULpjZyBV
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) July 16, 2021
What did the mother say about the incident?
Speaking in an interview with ABC7NY, Diaz Lopez recalled the horrific incident and stated, “'I said "oh my God my kids, oh my God my boy," while trying to rescue his son. It is reported that investigators revealed that apparently there is no evidence that the suspects knew the boy's mother. Lopez also added that the stranger who grabbed her son did not say anything as he put him in the car and also she had never seen him before. According to ABC7NY, the cops were at Brookdale Hospital for an unrelated matter when they recognized McGonagle from the video. He was arrested with attempted kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and acting in a manner injurious to a child. The suspect was at the hospital seeking some sort of treatment and was taken into custody.
UPDATE: A 24-year-old male has been arrested and charged with:
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) July 17, 2021
- Attempted Kidnapping
- Reckless Endangerment
- Acting in a Manner Injurious to a Child less than 17 https://t.co/WXxXyk5JEq