NEW YORK — A man suspected of abducting a 9-year-old girl from a New York City supermarket and sexually assaulting her in his car was killed Friday when he crashed while fleeing police, authorities said.
Officers attempted to pull over the 64-year-old suspect’s car early this afternoon in Queens, New York Police Department Deputy Chief Jason Savino said at a news conference.
With police in pursuit, the driver ran a stop sign and hit another vehicle. He died in a hospital. The driver of the other car suffered minor injuries.
Police said the man approached the girl at the Key Food store Thursday night while her grandmother was using the restroom.
He told the girl to walk in front of him, grabbed her hair and “forcefully” led her outside, Savino said. He then pushed the girl into his car, drove a short distance, assaulted her and left her on the street.
The man, who lived in Queens, had been arrested four times before, most recently for robbery in 2022. In that case, he similarly forced a victim into his vehicle, but she was able to get away, police said.