Suffolk DA says man lured child from Patchogue laundromat to library

Patchogue families are facing a disturbing case that began at a laundromat on East Main Street and ended in the children’s play area of the Patchogue-Medford Library, after prosecutors said Carlos Corte lured a 4-year-old girl away from her mother while the family was doing laundry.

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said Corte, 38, was indicted on kidnapping in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child. Prosecutors said the encounter began around 11:20 a.m. on March 28 at Laundry Kingdom, 138 East Main St., where Corte, who was unknown to the family, entered without laundry and spoke to the child for nearly 10 minutes in a rear vestibule. He then allegedly held the door open and gestured for her to come with him.

Suffolk County Police said the kidnapping incident was reported at about 12:08 p.m. Corte allegedly led the girl out the back exit and walked her through downtown Patchogue, at one point holding her hand, before taking her to the Patchogue-Medford Library at 54-60 East Main St. Police said library workers initially believed he was the girl’s father and greeted the pair, but he did not respond. A few minutes later, he reportedly told staff the child had followed him there.

Library director Danielle DeMicco said staff recognized the girl was not with a responsible caregiver and moved to contact authorities. Security was alerted, and a witness helped direct the mother to the library, where she found her daughter safe in the children’s play area. ABC7 reported that the girl was reunited with her mother within minutes.

Police said Corte was arrested near the laundromat after officers reviewed surveillance video and canvassed the area. He was also charged on an outstanding warrant. The district attorney’s office said a court initially ordered Corte released with GPS monitoring on March 29, despite the office’s request for bail of $150,000 cash, $300,000 bond or a $1.5 million partially secured bond.

Tierney has used the case to argue that defendants accused of dangerous conduct should not be released back into the community before trial. Corte was later detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 31, according to federal and secondary reporting.

News 12 Long Island reported that Corte allegedly promised to bring the child to a “secret room.” That detail, along with the route from a downtown laundromat to a public library only a few blocks away, has sharpened the fear for Patchogue parents: a child can be separated from a family in minutes in an ordinary place, and quick action by workers, witnesses and police can make the difference between panic and recovery.