Carlos Corte, a 38-year-old Patchogue man, took the 4-year-old girl from a laundromat to a local library on Saturday, March 28 before he was arrested, Suffolk County police said.
But Corte’s attorney Alexandra Dryoff claimed in court that he believed the girl didn’t have any parents, the New York Post reports. Dryoff also apparently said Corte brought the girl to the library and tried to explain the situation to a staff member, but a language barrier made communication difficult, resulting in an alleged misunderstanding. Following his arraignment on charges of kidnapping and child endangerment, Corte was released with a GPS monitor, the Post reported.
The case began Saturday morning when Corte was talking with the 4-year-old girl at Laundry Kingdom in Patchogue while her mother was distracted, according to police. After Corte left the laundromat with the girl, the mom called police and reported her daughter missing.
Corte and the 4-year-old were located down the street at Patchogue-Medford Library, where Corte was arrested, authorities said.
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