High-strung at U.S. Open after kid abduct try
A DAY AFTER an 11-year-old girl was nearly abducted during a Kids’ Day event to kick off the U.S. Open, parents were keeping a closer eye and tighter grip on their children at the Queens tennis center.
“Now we’re just going to hold them a little tighter," Marklina Quaye, 36, said as she walked the Billie Jean King Tennis Center area with her four kids, ages 6 to 19, on Sunday, a day before the start of the Open.
On Saturday, an 11-year-old girl was enjoying the performances by pop stars and interactive games at the Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day when a man approached her from behind and grabbed her by the waist, police said.
The creep ordered her to come with him, but the girl fought back, police said. She yanked herself free and kicked the man, who then fled the area.
“That’s what we teach our kids: to be as loud as possible, fight back, and try to find one of us,” said Jesse Jones, 27, of Long Island, who came to the tennis center with his wife, Crystal, their 8-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, and 2-year-old son.
Jones called the attempted kidnapping “alarming” but wasn’t surprised it happened during Saturday’s event.
“Unfortunately, that’s what brings out the predators, Kids’ Day,” he said.
A tennis coach visiting Flushing with 30 kids, ages 5 to 17, from Atlanta, said he discussed a game plan with the kids should any strangers approach them.
“We had a meeting before we left, and we talked about the abduction,” said coach William Fulton, who works with the National Junior Tennis and Learning organization.
“We’ve been over this before, this is our third year, but we just tightened the screws,” he said.
Police described the would-be abductor as white, 25 to 30 years old, 200 pounds and between 5-feet-8 and 5-feet-11.
He has a tattoo with words on his right wrist and was last seen wearing a red striped shirt, khaki shorts and sunglasses, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
The incident occurred at a time when police and event security were ratcheting up protection against a different type of threat: terrorism.
Mass shootings in the U.S. and terror attacks across Europe spurred officials to ramp up security at the competition — expected to draw some 700,000 spectators during the next two weeks.
The NYPD, which typically stations hundreds of officers around the arena, intends to increase its presence. The Open has also hired about 300 private security guards and had devices installed that detect chemical, biological or radiation risks.