Suffolk County Police Department arrested a homeless man in Bay Shore for attempting to kidnap a child from the Masjid Darul Quran mosque on Wednesday evening.
During a prayer service at Masjid Darul Quran, located on East 3rd Ave., approximately 5:45 p.m., Nelson Priester led a 4-year-old boy away from the prayer hall into a basement kitchen and barricaded the door. A worshiper saw Priester take the boy and brought the matter to the attention of the child’s grandfather. Multiple people then attempted to gain entry through the kitchen the door, but were unable to gain access. One person then climbed through a service window into the kitchen to reach the child, who was not injured.
Priester, 39, was charged with Attempted Kidnapping 2nd Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He is scheduled to be arraigned today at First District Court in Central Islip.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
