BOSTON (WHDH) - A 31-year-old man is facing criminal charges after police say he kidnapped and indecently assaulted a 4-year-old girl in Jamaica Plain on Sunday evening.

Anthony Jackson, of Jamaica Plain, was arraigned Monday in Roxbury District Court on charges of kidnapping a child under 16 and indecent assault and battery on a child.

Officers responding to a reported fight in a neighborhood around 6:45 p.m. met with witnesses who said they saw a man, later identified Jackson, approach a young girl who had been playing outside, take her by the hand, pick her up, and then kiss her, according to Boston police.

Jackson then allegedly took several steps while holding the child and proceeded to walk away, prompting a witness to yell at the man to put the child down.

That witness alerted the victim’s family members, who chased Jackson and were able to stop him in the area, police said. He was placed under arrest

“It was crazy,” shocked neighborhood resident Raymond Gomez said. “I’ve lived here for 16 years and nothing happens like that over here…Unbelievable.”

An investigation remains ongoing.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox