Police have revealed that a heroic dad rescued his 11-year-old daughter from a man who allegedly snatched her and tried to sexually assault her as they rode their bikes through a Queens park on Monday.
Right before 5 pm, the duo were reportedly biking through Forest Park near the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard when the girl pedaled ahead of her father and ventured off the main path, said law enforcement sources.
Soon after, 44-year-old Teddy Moussignac, who happened to be lurking in the bushes near a more secluded area of the park called Victory Field, leapt out and knocked the girl off her bike, per the NYPD.
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Police say he allegedly covered her nose and mouth with his hand, threatened her, and began to drag her away, cops said.
“If you scream, I’ll kill you,” Moussignac reportedly said, according to sources. “I just need help with something.”
Moussignac, who lives in Brooklyn, allegedly punched the girl as she struggled to get away while he dragged her deeper into the park and began fondling her, authorities said.
Minutes later, the girl’s dad caught up to his daughter’s knocked-over bike, saw what was happening and quickly ran to bring her to safety.
The 37-year-old heroic dad shouted as he ran over to rescue his daughter from the attacker, sources said.
Moussignac fled, yet was shortly apprehended by two officers in the area. He was charged with kidnapping, sex abuse of a victim under 13, criminal obstruction of breathing, forcible touching of intimate parts, assault and harassment, and endangering the welfare of a child, per the NYPD.
Moussignac was once arrested prior to this incident, but it remains unclear what for since the record is sealed, according to sources.
After the incident, the victim was taken to Jamaica Hospital for injuries sustained in the attack, police said.
A local parent stated that he’s wary of the more remote areas in the park and that he’s often encountered “crazy people” lurking there.
42-year-old Brandon Ziegenfuss, who raised his two children in a nearby apartment complex, stated that he was always on guard in that area of the park.
“There was always something crazy happening,” he said. “It was overrun with weirdos,” he said.
