Horrifying moment teen's kidnapping caught on camera

The 16-year-old was kidnapped off a New York City street by four men. Photo / Supplied

The horrifying moment a teen was kidnapped off a US street by four men has been captured on video and released by police in a desperate attempt to find the girl.

Karol Sanchez, 16, was walking with her mother down Eagle Ave in New York City when she was suddenly snatched off the street about 11.30pm on Monday, according to police.

The pair had their umbrellas up when two men jumped out of a beige sedan and launched the attack, footage released by the NYPD on Tuesday shows, News.com.au.

The duo grabbed Ms Sanchez and pushed her mother, 36, to the ground as she desperately tried to hold onto her daughter, according to police.

Surveillance footage shows the mother trying to fight back as the teenager is taken.

She was left at the scene of the incident uninjured and refused medical attention.

New York State Police said the circumstances in which Ms Sanchez was taken suggested she may have been in imminent danger. But within hours of releasing the footage on Tuesday, Karol was found in circumstances not immediately clear.

Take a look have you seen Karol Sanchez she’s 16 years old and was kidnapped on December 16, 2019 in the Melrose section in the Bronx pic.twitter.com/qZhQlVKXLB

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) December 17, 2019

It's not yet known if any arrests have been made in connection with the incident. The footage shows that the men fled in the car, which police said had two other men inside, down East 156th Street, according to authorities.

Police described the suspects as four adult males aged in their 20s, with "dark complexions" and wearing dark clothing.

Before Ms Sanchez was found, an amber alert was issued on Tuesday morning by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, as NYPD detectives were seen sifting through debris in a gutter near the intersection.

People who live in the area were shocked to see the surveillance footage.

"It's really crazy," resident Jennifer Cepeda told CBS2's Marc Liverman.

"Oh my God. It's bad, it's not good, it's very bad," resident Josephina Vargas said.

"I think it's horrible. I live up the block not too far from here, I have two girls," said resident Eva Tores. "I'm just watching over my girls now. I'm walking them to the train, picking them up, constantly having them text me. Just being more aware of the situation around and people around me."