Long Island man, 32, is charged with attempted kidnapping ‘after dragging seven-year-old girl from her bed and throwing her down stairs in Queens before child’s parents rescued her’
- Pete Haughton, 32, charged with burglary, attempted kidnapping, assault and endangering the welfare of a child
- Haughton is accused of breaking into Queens home Monday morning, grabbing sleeping seven-year-old girl and pushing her out the door
- Family said Haughton then went back inside the house, tried to kidnap girl’s five-year-old brother and saying, ‘I want to kill everybody’
- He eventually left and was arrested a few minutes later by police
A man from Long Island has been charged with attempted kidnapping after allegedly breaking into a family’s home in Queens, dragging a seven-year–old girl out of her bed screaming and throwing her down a flight of stairs out of the house.
According to a statement from Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, the girl was saved from her would-be abductor, identified as 32-year-old Pete Haufghton, when her family heard her cries for help and thwarted the kidnapping early Monday morning.
‘This is a parent’s worst nightmare,’ Katz stated. ‘The defendant allegedly illegally entered the family’s home and grabbed the girl as she slept in her bed. If not for her loved ones hearing her screams and acting to save her, this could have had a truly tragic outcome.’
Pete Haughton, 32, has been charged with burglary, attempted kidnapping, assault and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly trying to abducted a 7-year-old girl from this home in Flushing, Queens, early Monday morning
After allegedly threatening to kill the whole family, Haughton fled but was quickly apprehended by police officers.
Haughton, from Brentwood, New York, was arraigned on Tuesday on charges of first-degree burglary, second-degree attempted kidnapping, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
The disturbing incident began unfolding at around 7am on Monday when Haughton entered a home on Lawrence Street in the Flushing section of Queens.
Surveillance video obtained by New York Daily News shows the suspect wearing what appears to be a hospital gown and hospital wristbands loitering outside a neighbor’s gate for several minutes.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Haughton somehow made his way inside a nearby house, entered the seven-year-old’s bedroom, grabbed the sleeping child, yanked her out of bed and dragged her outside.
A recording from a neighbor’s camera features the shocking moment when the suspect is seen pushing the young victim out the front door and down the stairs. He then goes back in the house and closes the door behind him, leaving the girl outside.
Several family members, who were awakened by her screams, quickly came to her aid and called the police.
Relatives spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity, telling the paper that the intruder went back in the house planning to kidnap the girl’s five-year-old brother.
‘I want to kill everybody,’ Haughton was quoted as telling the family.
The children’s mother recounted for the newspaper that the man specifically threatened to kill her daughter.
The father reportedly told Haughton that he will not call the police and promised to give him anything he wanted if he spared his children.
Haughton eventually left and the family called the police, which arrived within a couple of minutes and arrested the suspect a few blocks away from the crime scene.
The parents said both their children have been traumatized by the harrowing ordeal, and that the girl is now afraid to sleep alone in her bed.
During his arraignment on Tuesday, Queens Criminal Court Judge Danielle Hartman denied bail for Haughton and ordered a psychiatric evaluation.
Haughton is due back in court on July 23. If convicted as charged, he faces up to 25 years in prison.