NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A New York City public schools employee was charged with attempted kidnapping and other crimes Thursday, a day after he allegedly tried to pull a teen girl into an SUV as she walked to school in Queens.
Yogeshwar Narine, 32, also faces charge of luring a child, attempted unlawful imprisonment, and attempted endangering the welfare of a child following Wednesday morning's attempted abduction in Queens Village, police said.
The 15-year-old girl was walking to school at 113th Road and Francis Lewis Boulevard around 8:20 a.m. when a man standing next to a black SUV approached her.
He grabbed her and tried to pull her into the vehicle, but she was able to break free and run away, according to police, who said she wasn't physically injured.
Narine worked as a thermostat repairman for the Department of Education, and may have serviced multiple schools, Gothamist reported.
In a statement, the deputy press secretary for the city Department of Education, Jenna Lyle, told 1010 WINS: “Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students. This alleged behavior is extremely concerning. This employee has been reassigned pending the outcome of the arrest and if convicted, we will pursue termination.”