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Fastexy Exchange|Doorbell video shows mom fighting off man who snatched teen from her apartment door in NYC
Johnathan Walker View
Date:2025-04-08 16:55:19
An apparent would-be kidnapper tried to carry away an 18-year-old as she returned to her New York City apartment,Fastexy Exchange but he wasn't prepared for one thing: The teenager's fiercely protective mother.
Video captured on a Ring doorbell surveillance camera shows the menacing moment in January when the man emerged from a stairwell to restrain and haul away the teen as she returned home after a morning dog walk. Within seconds, the teenager's frantic screams alerted her mother, who bolted from their apartment in Queens to take on the imposing man.
As the struggle spilled into the stairwell off camera, other neighbors in the apartment building reportedly came to the aid of the women, restraining the attacker until police could arrive, according to the New York Police Department.
The man, identified as 25-year-old George Vassiliou, was charged with assault, harassment, possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of noxious matter and criminal contempt for violating a protection order, the NYPD said.
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Ring video shows mother attacking daughter's kidnapper
The attack occurred around 9 a.m. on Jan. 23, but it wasn't until earlier this week that surveillance video was made public.
In the footage, the teenager can been seen returning to the apartment with a dog before a masked man in a camouflage jacket identified by police as Vassiliou jumps from a stairwell and grabs her.
As he attempts to haul her down a flight of stairs, the teen's mother, widely identified in media reports as 35-year-old Adriana Alvarez, can be seen seen exiting the apartment and running after them.
Watch the video here:
Mother left with severe injuries following attempted abduction
During the attack, police said Vassiliou threw the teen down the stairwell and punched her several times in the face.
Vassiliou is also accused of punching, kicking and using pepper spray on Alvarez as she attempted to fend off the much larger man.
The commotion alerted other neighbors in the building who came to their aid and helped to ultimately restrain the assailant, according to police and multiple news reports.
Though her daughter survived the attack largely unharmed, Alvarez was left with mounting medical expenses after suffering bruising, a dislocated shoulder, a fractured orbital socket and a broken elbow, according to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $40,000.
“You never imagine this kind of thing would happen to you, especially in your own building," Alvarez told the New York Post. "It was horrible.”
Attacker knew victim, mom says
The attempted kidnapping was not random, and Vassiliou was no stranger to Alvarez, according to police and media reports.
While the NYPD identified him as an ex-boyfriend in a statement to USA TODAY, Alvarez painted a much more sinister picture in interviews with multiple outlets.
According to Alvarez, Vassiliou had previously worked with her daughter at a supermarket in Astoria before he started following the teenager. Alvarez called the police and even filed a restraining order against him, according to reports.
"We all thought, ‘Wow, this guy really likes my daughter for some reason. What's going on?'" Alvarez told FOX 5 New York. "He would follow her. She would see him behind a car."
In the two months since the attack, Alvarez and her daughter have since created fliers with Vassiliou's picture that they have displayed around the neighborhood to warn other women, the Post reported.
“You are not going to run us out of Astoria. We are not going to be scared," she told the Post. "We’ll show the world your face and tell them what you did.”
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
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