A six-year-old boy in Brooklyn was shoved off his brother’s e-scooter by a masked man who then rode off on it.
Police say the brazen theft occurred around 10pm on Wednesday in the Borough Park neighbourhood.
The father told the New York Post that the e-scooter belongs to the six-year-old’s older brother, who has special needs.
Neighbor Ruhul Amin told the paper: “There is no humanity. I don’t know who would do this. He is a sick guy.’’
Police say the thief approached the boy and asked “Where is your mommy?” before pushing him off the scooter.
The boy told his sister what had happened and their parents later reported it to law enforcement.
A surveillance camera captured the boy riding the scooter before the theft, and the masked man riding off on the scooter afterwards.
“At the police station, he was a little afraid,” the father told The Post concerning his son. “We got him to say a few words.”
The father added that the boy hasn’t been to school since the incident and is scared of riding a scooter again.
“We are working on it,” the father said. “We are going to have therapy for him, for sure. We are not going to let him fall behind.”
The dad is studying to become a Rabbi and has 15 children. He said he bought the $500 e-scooter three weeks ago for one of the boy’s older brothers, who is currently at summer camp.
“When he comes back, I have to replace it,” he said, adding that he doesn’t have enough money to get another one.
“I wish someone could help me … My child needs it. That’s what he uses to get around,’’ he said.
Addressing the thief, the father said he could “bring it back, no questions asked”.
“Turn the scooter back, I’m not going to press any charges,” he said. “But if the police catch you, it’s going to be worse.”
The suspect was wearing a dark grey shirt, light grey shorts and grey sneakers and is thought to be in his late 20s, police said.
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