VIDEO: Man Who Allegedly Tried to Snatch NYC Toddler Held on $15K Bail

A man who allegedly tried to abduct a Bronx child was held on $15,000 bail during his Tuesday arraignment and was ordered to avoid the victim.

Twenty-seven-year-old Santiago Salcedo stayed fairly quiet at his appearance in Bronx Criminal Court, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

“He was arraigned on an attempted abduction charge for allegedly trying to kidnap 3-year-old Lilianna Repka on Monday as the little girl was walking with her grandmother at the corner of East Tremont Avenue and Baisley Avenue in Schuylerville,” the outlet stated.

Maniac who tried to abduct NYC toddler held on $15k bail https://t.co/YZUFsUwHoR pic.twitter.com/nAnRa137Y8

— New York Post (@nypost) October 13, 2021

The suspect reportedly grabbed Lilianna, wrapped a blanket around her, and took off, police said. However, he dropped the girl once he was confronted by someone who heard the grandmother’s cries.

The child’s mother, Jana Repka, told the outlet she wanted the “crazy” suspect to seek help.

“I want to press charges but I don’t want him to go to jail. I want him to get help. Jail is not going to help him,” she said.

Earlier this afternoon, an individual grabbed a 3-year-old girl walking with a relative and tried to run away with her in the Bronx. Thanks to your @NYPDDetectives, a 27-year-old man has been arrested and charged with this incident. pic.twitter.com/wD0OtulsU9

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 11, 2021

During the arraignment, Salcedo’s public defender, Angeline Andersen, quoted the mother while asking Judge Seth Steed to offer some leniency in the case.

“I ask that your honor have that same compassion and understanding for Mr. Salcedo that the complainant’s mother did,” Andersen commented.

She also asked that her client receive “medical treatment and mental health services,” and they were granted.

When the moment came to set bail, the judge called the case “very serious,” then added, “The defendant faces up to 15 years in prison for the alleged kidnapping of the 3-year-old girl.”

Meanwhile, crime in Democrat-run New York City increased in September as Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) was reportedly in the early stages of setting up a gubernatorial campaign.

According to the Daily Mail:

Stark data released by the NYPD Wednesday shows crime rose 2.6 percent overall in September 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with an extra 243 incidents reported. The biggest increase was for felonious assault – or assault with a dangerous weapon – which surged by a shocking 18.5 percent from 1,802 in September 2020 to 2,135 in September 2021, as New Yorkers have been plagued by random attacks in the streets of the city.

“The data also reveals a concerning trend in other criminal activity, with robberies up 6 percent, car theft up 4.1 percent and grand larceny up .7 percent within the same timeframe,” the report concluded.