Brazen Attempted Abduction of Boy Stopped by Parents in Coney Island (Video)

A Brooklyn family’s fun summer night turned into a real-life nightmare when a man in a black outfit and strange tall hat tried to abduct their 6-year-old son off a crowded Coney Island sidewalk — only to be chased down by the boy’s furious parents in a dramatic, caught-on-camera rescue.

Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, 6-year-old Rah’Shem “Rah’Rah” Gantt was walking a few steps behind his family near Stillwell and Surf avenues when a man in his mid-30s suddenly swooped in, grabbed the child with one arm, and began walking off — cradling him like stolen luggage.

Surveillance footage shows the suspect holding the boy tight as the child let out a terrified scream. That scream saved his life.

“I turned and saw this man holding my son like a football,” Sharon Robinson, 41, told reporters Monday. “He was a complete stranger. If Rah’Rah hadn’t screamed, that man could’ve taken him, raped him, and killed him. I believe that with everything in me.”

Robinson and her husband were just feet away. In the shocking video, the panicked parents immediately take off after the man as their son cries out. The suspect flung the boy to the pavement in an apparent attempt to flee faster. Instead, the move only enraged the mother more.

“I guess he thought I would stop running when he dropped my baby,” she said. “But I wasn’t stopping for anything.”

The chase continued into the street, where cars were still moving through the intersection. Robinson caught up with the suspect and shoved him to the ground outside the IT’SUGAR candy store, holding him down as witnesses screamed for police.

“I was ready to do whatever it took to keep him from getting away,” she said.

Confusion initially led cops to restrain Robinson before bystanders clarified she was the victim’s mother. Officers on foot patrol arrested the man moments later. He remained in custody Monday afternoon, with charges still pending.

The suspect has not yet been publicly identified.

Gantt, who lives with his family in Queens, was taken to Coney Island Hospital for minor injuries. He was listed in stable condition but reportedly cried for hours after the terrifying ordeal.

“He didn’t stop crying in the ambulance. He didn’t stop crying at the hospital,” Robinson said. “He was traumatized.”

The family had spent the evening enjoying the boardwalk, the Wonder Wheel, and snacks. “He just wanted popcorn,” Robinson recalled. “He was so excited, running around. We were just being a normal family.”

That normalcy was shattered in an instant.

“We don’t know this man. We’ve never seen him before in our lives,” Robinson said. “I want him fully prosecuted. I want him to get the felony he deserves.”

While Coney Island is a beloved summertime attraction, the area has seen rising reports of attempted assaults and mental health-related incidents in recent years, particularly during high-traffic weekends. NYPD patrols have increased, but locals say more needs to be done to prevent scenes like this one.

“Coney Island’s supposed to be a place for kids,” one witness told reporters. “Now parents have to look over their shoulder every second.”

Police are reviewing footage and interviewing witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers.