A Brooklyn woman accused of repeatedly assaulting strangers is facing new charges after police said she attempted to take a 4-year-old boy from his grandmother outside a McDonald’s in Crown Heights.

Chrissy Payne, 47, was arrested after the alleged incident on Sept. 14 and charged with attempted kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child. According to police, Payne approached the child outside the restaurant on Eastern Parkway near Utica Avenue while he was with his grandmother. Investigators allege that she attempted to pull the boy away and take him across the street.

The child’s mother, Anyia James, told CBS New York that she and her husband were nearby when her mother called for help. When they arrived, James said she saw her mother and Payne each pulling on one of the child’s arms.

James said Payne allegedly claimed that the boy was her son. The child’s parents intervened, and Payne eventually ran away. The boy was frightened but was not physically injured.

Police released photographs of the suspect as investigators searched for her. Payne was arrested several days later.

Earlier Assault Allegations

The attempted kidnapping charge came as Payne was already facing multiple other criminal cases.

According to authorities and court information cited by the New York Post, Payne had been arrested several times since April in connection with alleged assaults on strangers. One of the earlier cases involved Thomasina Guzman, a 62-year-old woman who said she was assaulted on an MTA bus on Aug. 19.

Guzman told the New York Post that she was still recovering from the alleged attack when she learned Payne had been arrested again, this time in connection with the alleged attempted kidnapping of the child. She questioned why Payne had been allowed to remain in the community while facing previous criminal allegations.

Authorities said Payne had four open assault cases dating back to April, including allegations involving elderly women and two cases classified as hate crimes. She had also reportedly been hospitalized for psychiatric evaluations on two occasions before being released.

The previous cases had not resulted in convictions at the time of the latest arrest.

Judge Sets $50,000 Cash Bail

Following the attempted kidnapping allegation, Payne was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court.

Judge Emily Ruben ordered $50,000 cash bail or a $100,000 bond. Payne’s attorney indicated that she could not afford the amount.

The new charges represent a significant escalation from the earlier cases because prosecutors allege that the latest incident involved an attempt to take a young child from his family.

Authorities have not alleged that Payne successfully removed the child from the scene, and the boy was not physically injured.

Questions About Repeat Offenses

The case has renewed debate over how New York’s criminal justice system handles defendants who are repeatedly arrested while other cases remain pending.

The New York Post’s report highlighted criticism from Guzman and her family, who argued that repeated arrests should result in stronger intervention before another alleged victim is harmed. Those comments represent the family’s views rather than an independent finding that prosecutors or courts acted unlawfully.

New York’s bail laws generally limit the circumstances in which judges can impose cash bail, and decisions can depend on the specific charges and a defendant’s criminal history. The fact that someone has been arrested multiple times also does not by itself establish guilt in any of those cases.

For the family of the 4-year-old boy, the Sept. 14 incident ended without serious physical injury. But the child’s mother said the confrontation was frightening, particularly because her young son was caught between an unfamiliar adult and his grandmother.

Payne now faces the attempted kidnapping and child-endangerment charges in addition to the earlier cases. The allegations remain unresolved in court, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Sources: New York Post; ABC7 New York; CBS New York; News 12 Brooklyn; NYPD; Brooklyn Criminal Court records.