Long Beach Social Worker Arrested After Trying to Take Toddler From Stroller

Heather Magone, a 40-year-old licensed clinical social worker from Long Beach, was charged with attempted kidnapping Monday after she allegedly approached a stroller on West Penn Street, unbuckled the safety straps, and tried to lift a 14-month-old child out while shouting, "This is my child, I have a license."

Magone had been walking a dog when she approached the stroller, which was being pushed by the child's great-grandfather. The elderly man, whose age has been reported as either 79 or 80, physically wrestled Magone to the ground and held her there until the baby's parents arrived at the scene. During the struggle, Magone allegedly bit and scratched him. The stroller was knocked over with the toddler still strapped inside.

Long Beach Police received multiple calls reporting the confrontation at approximately 12:19 p.m. on April 6. Officers confirmed Magone had no relation to the child. The baby was not injured. The child's mother told News12 the incident had been a "wake-up call."

Magone holds New York state LCSW license number 088161, first registered in November 2015, the year she graduated with honors. Her NPI registry lists her practice location as 120 W Park Ave, Suite 218, in Long Beach, where she is affiliated with New Horizon Counseling Center Inc. Her professional profile describes her as a therapist using cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, and mindfulness-based approaches.

The fact that Magone invoked her professional credentials mid-confrontation has drawn significant community attention since her arrest. Police have not publicly identified a motive. Arraignment details had not been released as of Wednesday.