Brooklyn Heights Parents Alarmed by Suspicious Woman Accosting Kids in Cadman Plaza Park

By on October 15, 2014 10:01 pm in Police Blotter

We received this dispatch Wednesday evening from a BHB tipster/parent. A note of caution, we have not verified the identity of the person who wrote the original email. We will also be checking with the 84th precinct to confirm that a report was placed.

However, let this serve as notice that regardless of the veracity of this claim or others like it, it never hurts for parents and caregivers to be extra vigilant when kids are at play in a public park.

Note that we have blurred the face of the woman referred to in the email.

If you have further information, contact the 84th precinct at (718) 875-6811 or better yet 911.

Update: While the 84th Precinct tells BHB no official report was made, it is aware of the email and officers have been assigned to look for the person in question.

Hi Folks,

At soccer today a group of us saw a woman approach different sets of children in Cadman Plaza, talk with them for several minutes, in some cases walk them very far away from where they were playing, and hand them business cards with her handwritten contact information on it. She offered several girls free hair clips with bows on them. She said (and the card said) that she’s looking for kids for child modeling, counseling, play therapy, and other very bizarre stuff. At one point she asked some kids if their nannies were around.

She is white, very tall — maybe six feet — blond, and was oddly dressed with a scarf loosely wrapped over her hair. She spent a lot of time in the park going from one spot to another talking to different kids. She also talked to a few adults about their kids. I don’t want to sound alarmist but every person in our group and several others who were not with us commented on how threatening the situation seemed.

We called the police after we found out from another stranger that she was asking kids whether they were with their nannies and, while they came and looked around the park, they couldn’t find her or do much without any specific wrongdoing. They asked if she’s seen again to report it.

Here’s a picture.

I know I often let the kids walk or scoot pretty far ahead — just a heads up on this. At some point, we saw her chat with three children, some of whom looked at least 5 or 6, and walk them very far away from their nanny. Give a heads up to your caregivers.

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  • WillowL

    I wonder what she said to the adults? that is very very weird.. as someone who would do counseling or play therapy would never be out actively recruiting children.

  • heights1

    I also saw her, she gave me a card (“Child Therapist”) and I called the 84th precinct to report it.

  • WillowL

    what else did it say? I am a social worker and would be interested to see how she was trying to pitch this.. what was she like etc? also any number or name on the card? anyway to post a picture on here?

  • stuart

    she was handing out business cards to kids? That is very odd. So call her up and tell her to stop it and tell her you have contacted the police. Usually child molesters do not hand out cards.

  • GetAHoldOfYourself

    What exactly were you calling the police to report, heights1? That someone gave you a card? That someone was speaking to kids that weren’t there? Realistically if someone is going to abuse or otherwise harm a child it tends to be someone they already know. Maybe you should go back to worrying about Ebola.

  • hicksup

    Have to agree. Unusual to give people a heads up when trying to molest their children.

  • GW-observer

    It seems any legitamate clinician or therapist would not approach the children, as any treatment of minors would require parental consent. – I am not sure from the photo but are you sure this is a woman , I am not conscerned about a cross issue as a gender but disguises concerm me. Many years in the late 80;s ago a woman who was known as “Moma” would hang out in the neonatal ward of Harlem Hospital and play with and engage the newborn she told them how much she loved the children. She wperson who just loved newborns She was treated as an unofficial voulenteer by staff and tolerated as a accepted, by the hospital untill an infant disapeared and so did “Moma”- The infant grew to adulthood and by a fluke discovered that her “relative” had stolen her from the hospital at birth I woud treat this person “therapist” with great caution –

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    The letter writer is sadly typical of todays wussy-assed approach. Why didn’t they simply ask the woman what and why she was approaching the kids?

  • DIBS

    Yes, passive-aggressive idiocy. Lots of that around these days.

  • haha

    To be fair, so is your wussy-assed anonymous comment.

  • WilllowL

    I don’t think this was about molesting. She could simply be trying to abduct and keep a child as her own. EITHER way.. sketchy.

  • bklyn20

    In the summer of 2002, a mentally disturbed woman began chatting with babysitters in the neighborhood; eventually she escalated to pulling on strollers and saying to the sitter or parents “I just want him to have a loving home.” Her name was Tara Anne McDonald, and she had done the same thing in Manhattan a year or two before.

    Obviously, she was mentally ill, and had stopped taking her medication. There were c. 15 reports of her behavior. Finally she grabbed a stroller on Montague Street and was arrested. I doubt this is the same person, and thankfully she never actually took a child – but it was frightening nonetheless.

  • DIBS

    Don’t be such an idiot, haha

  • MonroeOrange

    ‘A group of us saw a woman approach different sets of children…and walk them very far away’…..

    Seriously lets examine that statement…a ‘group’ of you saw a woman ‘walk children away’ from their nannies…why didn’t the group of you stop and ask her then…its not like there isn’t safety in numbers! you see children being walked away and all you do is write about it on a blog, not do anything in real time?

    While i have no idea if this woman is harmless or not, but when i grew up in the heights, early eighties, if someone walked a kid away from their guardian,, you better believe people would have been shouting at the woman at the least.

  • Rock E. Fella

    No worries, she’s just a Corcoran real estate agent prospecting for future library condo sales…

  • Hicks up

    Guilty until proven innocent

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    “Haha” is that your given name or you surname?

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    I think you mean future Cadman Plaza Park condos…

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Let’s hope that happens to you one day.

  • cindy sm

    Well remember a number years ago, a
    Group of girls from Farragut held a
    RAZOR against an infant to rob a nanny
    On Columbia heights…In today’s world
    The security of children demands
    Constant watch.

  • tksmall

    That same afternoon, I took off from work and went to the park to read my book. Coincidentally, she came up to me and asked me for the time. I have a fair amount of experience with people with mental health issues and she certainly gave me that impression. Thankfully, the situation didn’t end badly.

  • Sherlock Holmes

    Great journalism!

  • MikeB26

    This woman talked to people and handed out cards, so you put her picture in “the paper” implying that she is some sort of child molester or kidnapper.

    Look, you’re worried about something, call the police. It’s what they’re there for.

    But don’t start a witch hunt (or pretend that you are disguising her identity by blurring her face– your intent was to identify her).

    All this woman did was act oddly.

    You on the other hand…

    And shame on the Brooklyn Heights Blog for publishing this mean-spirited, alarmist, McCarthy-like drivel.

  • Hicksup

    That’s pretty mean Arch Stanton. Hope you feel good about yourself.