Father confronts man accused of chasing his young daughter into traffic in New York City
NEW YORK -- The father of a teenager who was struck by a car while fleeing a man who was chasing her in Queens, New York, confronted the suspect in court Monday and was ejected from the courtroom.
Omar Wilks, a firefighter and father of 14-year-old Amara Wilks, shouted at 23-year-old Kevin Ramtahal, who is accused of harassing and endangering his daughter.
"I want justice!" he hollered at Ramtahal. "Kevin, after my daughter was hit, she asked me, 'Daddy, am I going to die?' Did you hear that, Kevin? She wanted to know if she was going to die!"
Wilks was escorted out by court officers during the routine appearance, and Ramtahal is due back in court December 23.
Amara Wilks was walking at the southeast corner of 110th Street and Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, December 6, when she was approached by an unknown male who was screaming, "I'm coming for you."
Outside the court, Wilks said his daughter would never be the same again and talked about what led to his outburst in court.
"I was angry, you know. To be honest with you I felt like leaping over table and grabbing him up, as a father," he explained. "But out of respect for the court, you know, I maintained discipline and made it clear to him that I'm determined to get justice. I will get justice. I will not sleep until I get justice."
Police say that man was Ramtahal, known to area residents as being mentally disturbed.
Scared for her life, Amara Wilks ran into traffic and was struck by a 2001 Audi A6.
The driver of the vehicle remained on scene, and the girl sustained serious injuries to her legs and waist.
EMS rushed her to Cohen Children's Medical Center, where she remains in stable condition.
Video released by the NYPD shows the suspect randomly approaching and screaming at several other people on the street.
Area residents say he sometimes screams at riders boarding the train or repeatedly cocks his fist back at pedestrians as if he's about to take a swing.
They said he also sometimes circles with a menacing stare.
"He's always walking around with his hood or with a scarf, walking, around his head," mental health counselor Andratta Mitchell said. "He's very awkward and he seems to be very dangerous."
Mitchell works for Maranatha Human Services, which happens to be located a block from where the teenager was chased by the man.
She says he's always seen wearing the same clothes, and that she's not surprised by what happened. She says this community needs more attention, more shelter support, and more mental health services.
"I see that he's a person that needs help," she said. "He's more than likely mentally ill. My one or two encounters seeing...him, I would say he's probably schizophrenic compounded by life issues."
