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Shocking video shows homeless NYC man trying to abduct 3-year-old, as grandma chases him

Shocking video footage shows grandmother giving chase after baby snatched from her hands, as city swept by a surge in crime by homeless people

A 27-year-old New York City homeless man was charged with kidnapping after attempting to snatch a three-year-old from her grandmother's arms on October 11, 2021. Santiago Salcedo was caught on surveillance footage attempting to run away with the child before other witnesses gave chance and stopped the crime from happening. The incident occurred outside a BP gas station at the corner of E. Tremont and Baisley Aves. in Schuylerville.

The near-kidnapping is part of a massive crime wave plaguing NYC this year. On September 2, a Brooklyn woman was caught on footage throwing boiling water, then stabbing a deaf man in Williamsburg. A few days later, a man kicked a woman down an escalator at the Atlantic Avenue Barclays Center Station. On October 4, we reported on the video of a woman pushing a commuter towards an oncoming train at Times Square subway station. 

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It's not just violent crime that's surging in the city, it's also the population of homeless people. While data does indicate that the number of homeless people has fallen since a record peak in 2018 and 2019, it is still hovering around the 50,000 mark, numbers not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Combating that has proven to be a great challenge, and so far the city has failed. It has since led to a surge in crime by homeless people, such as the kidnapping attempt by Salcedo.

Salcedo caught in attempt, flees on scooter

Surveillance footage from the BP gas station shows Salcedo waiting along the corner, as a grandmother and three children approach him. Two of the children are walking, with the three-year-old being held in the woman's arms. In the blink of an eye, Salcedo grabs the child from the woman's arms and begins to run away with the child wrapped in a comforter. The elderly grandmother then begins to give chase, as the two other children are left standing.

One of the children can be seen jumping up and down. "He’s taking my girl! He’s taking my girl! He’s taking my baby!" the woman reportedly screamed, drawing the attention of several others in the area. One eyewitness, identified as Fermin Bracero, told the New York Daily News, "He tried to cut out, but a whole bunch of us got involved, so he dropped the little girl." Bracero added, "She was hysterical. It was like a movie, but this is real life. It was crazy."

After dropping the girl, Salcedo reportedly stood across the street, before making his escape on a scooter. Police viewed the tape and managed to track him down to E. Tremont Avenue, where he was caught sleeping on a doorstep. In another bizarre twist, he was caught smiling at the press as he was being led from the 45th Precinct stationhouse later that night. Police confirmed he was charged with kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, and child endangerment.

It's unclear where Salcedo is being held at the moment. It is also unclear if he has a history of crime, or if this is his first arrest. We could not find any further information about him. While he was caught, hundreds of New Yorkers remain free after committing violent crimes like mugging and assaults. The surge has led to immense pressure on both the NYPD and Mayor Bill de Blasio, but so far, few effective steps have been taken.