Attorney Disputes DA’s Account Of Events In Attempted Kidnapping Case Involving 15-Month-Old

LONG BEACH, NY — Prosecutors said a Long Beach woman was indicted Thursday on charges after she was accused of trying to kidnap a 15-month-old girl while her great-grandfather was walking her through Long Beach; this week, the woman’s attorney says there’s a discrepancy in the facts reported by the district attorney.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said 40-year-old Heather Magone was arraigned on charges of second-degree attempted kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment; court documents show Magone pleaded not guilty to all three.

According to Magone’s indictment, the girl’s 79-year-old great-grandfather was taking the 15-month-old for a walk in her stroller along West Penn Street on April 6; at about 12:15 p.m., prosecutors said, Magone ran up to the duo while she was walking her dog barefoot.

At that point, Magone scratched and bit the great-grandfather while attempting to wrest control of the stroller from him, eventually ripping his hands off of it and toppling the stroller over with the 15-month-old still inside.

When reached for comment, Magone’s attorney, Lloyd Nadel, disputed the DA’s account, saying that — while there was an altercation in the street that day — video he had received from the DA’s office showed that the stroller was never tipped over, and that the girl inside was neither injured nor crying in the video.

“This defendant’s alleged actions were deeply disturbing and played out every family’s worst nightmare. A great-grandfather and his great-granddaughter were simply enjoying an afternoon stroll in their neighborhood when Heather Magone allegedly tried to tear the 15-month-old child from her stroller,” Donnelly said. “Thanks to his quick-thinking and heroic intervention, the child’s great-grandfather was able to prevent the unthinkable. My office is committed to making sure all families feel safe and secure on our streets, and we intend to hold this defendant fully accountable for the trauma she caused.”

Prosecutors said Magone kept trying to reach for the stroller until she was pushed away by the great-grandfather, who held her on the ground until police arrived. When police arrived, Magone got up and tried once more to take the girl from her stroller, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Magone was arrested that day.

Magone is due back in court June 23 and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said.