Teen Abducted In Lindenhurst, Fights Off Attacker: Police

LINDENHURST, NY — A 14-year-old girl who was abducted in Lindenhurst Wednesday afternoon fought off her attacker and escaped, Suffolk police said. The attacker, Donald Cristiano Jr., 46, of Bay Shore, was arrested Thursday, according to police.

Police said the girl and a 16-year-old girl were walking to the Lindenhurst Memorial Library at about 3:35 p.m. when Cristiano pulled up to them in a white sport utility vehicle on Herbert Avenue. He said he was a police officer and told the girls to get in his vehicle so he could drive them to the library, police said.

Once they reached the library parking lot, Cristiano told the older girl to get out of the car so he could talk to the younger girl, police said. He then drove off to a nearby park and began to touch the younger girl, police said. She fought him off, escaped and ran to a nearby home, where the resident called 911, police said.

Police arrested Cristiano Thursday. He is charged with two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of endangered the welfare of a child, one count of first-degree criminal impersonation and one count of luring a child.

He will be held in custody overnight and arraigned Friday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Lindenhurst School District Superintendent Dan Giordano sent a letter to the community regarding the incident.

We are extremely thankful that our students were able to escape and that they reported the incident immediately to a neighbor, who called 911. We are also grateful for the SCPD’s immediate response and continued investigation into this crime.

Please continue to reinforce with your children all of the necessary basic stranger safety protocol, including walking in groups and being watchful for strangers. As a district, we will reinforce safety measures with our students, as well.

This situation is especially upsetting given the fact that the students put their trust in someone who said he was a police officer. It is important to note the distinction between officers dressed in a full uniform, with a badge and driving a marked police car and those who are not. If someone identifies themselves as a police officer in plain clothes, driving an unmarked car and without a badge, they should be treated as a stranger. Please discuss this important distinction with your children and reinforce that they should never get in the car with a stranger.

As always, please encourage your children to report any unusual encounters with a trusted adult immediately.