Police arrested a man who allegedly tried to kidnap two teenage girls on Long Island, New York, posing as a police officer.
Donald Cristiano Jr., 46, is facing charges of kidnapping, endangering a child’s well-being, falsifying his criminal identity and attracting a child, Suffolk County Police announced on Thursday.
Authorities said Cristiano on Wednesday approached two teenage girls, aged 14 and 16, while driving a white Nissan Xterra and identified himself as a police officer.
He told the girls he was investigating recent gang activity in the area and offered them a ride to the library so they wouldn’t have to walk alone, said Steve Bellone, Suffolk County executive.
“They did this, they arrived at the library and he asked the 16-year-old to get out of the vehicle so he could speak to the girl,” Bellone told a news conference on Thursday. “He then left with the 14-year-old for Fireman’s Memorial Park in Lindenhurst.”
Bellone described the incident as “every parent’s nightmare” and said as a father that his heart sank when he heard the report for the first time.
“I can’t tell you how disturbing and sickly it is to think about this individual posing as a policeman in an attempt to kidnap and assault these girls,” said Bellone. “It is beyond disturbing.”
Cristiano reportedly grabbed the younger girl’s pants and made inappropriate comments for her, but she managed to escape after a fight, according to Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart.
“She was able to grab the door handle, kick it, while fighting it,” said Hart. “She managed to run to a nearby house, where the owner of the house called 911.”
After Cristiano allegedly left the library, the 16-year-old girl found a traffic cop who had also contacted 911. The police then used a surveillance video to identify the make and model of the car and restricted ownership to the Cristiano’s father based on the distinctive “stickers” car.
Cristiano fits the description given to the police by the girls and was arrested on Thursday morning without incident, Hart said.
“If you are stopped by an individual who identifies himself as an undercover police officer, ask him for identification and a badge,” said Hart. “If you are not comfortable, go to a public place immediately and call 911.”
Information about the inmates was not yet available to Cristiano on Thursday afternoon. It is not clear whether he hired a lawyer.
