A 38-year-old Ecuadorian national has been indicted after prosecutors say he lured a 4-year-old girl away from her family inside a Patchogue laundromat and walked her through downtown before taking her to the Patchogue-Medford Library.
Carlos Corte was arraigned Wednesday on charges of Kidnapping in the Second Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege the incident happened around 11:20 a.m. on March 28, 2026, while the child was at a laundromat in Patchogue with family members.
According to investigators, Corte entered the laundromat without any laundry and approached the child in a rear vestibule area. Prosecutors said he spoke with the girl for nearly 10 minutes before allegedly holding the door open, motioning for her to follow him, and leaving the business with the child.
Authorities said Corte then walked with the girl through downtown Patchogue, at times holding her hand, before bringing her to the children’s section of the Patchogue-Medford Library.
Prosecutors said librarians initially believed Corte was the child’s father and greeted them when they arrived. Corte allegedly did not respond. A short time later, prosecutors said, Corte allegedly told staff the child had followed him to the library, prompting librarians to notify security.
Meanwhile, the child’s mother realized her daughter was missing and began searching frantically with help from witnesses who reported seeing the girl walking with a man. Witnesses directed the mother to the library, where she located her daughter with Corte.
According to prosecutors, Corte allegedly apologized to the mother for taking the child. The girl later told investigators that Corte allegedly said he was taking her to a “secret room.”
Corte was arrested shortly afterward when he returned to the laundromat, authorities said.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney criticized the initial court decision to release Corte with GPS monitoring following his March 29 arraignment.
Prosecutors had requested bail of $150,000 cash, $300,000 bond, or a $1.5 million partially secured bond, but the court ordered his release.
Two days later, on March 31, Corte was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after authorities determined he allegedly entered the United States illegally from Ecuador, prosecutors said.
After coordinating with ICE, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office obtained a court writ to bring Corte back to Suffolk County to face the criminal charges.
On May 14, 2026, Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins ordered Corte held without bail pending the case.
Kidnapping in the Second Degree is a Class B violent felony under New York law and carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Corte is due back in court on June 18, 2026. He is represented by the Legal Aid Society.
