Shock moment homeless man allegedly tries to abduct 3-year-old girl

The grandmother's screams alerted nearby people who came to her aid.

A homeless man allegedly tried to abduct a three-year-old girl walking home with her grandmother in broad daylight - until his plan was foiled by good Samaritans.

New York man Santiago Salcedo was arrested and charged with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.

Footage shows the man approaching the 65-year-old grandmother, who was with her granddaughter and two infant grandsons around 1.20pm when the incident happened.

He threw a blanket around the girl before picking her up and tried to flee down the road with her.

The grandmother's screams quickly alerted bystanders who swiftly confronted the man.

A worker at a nearby petrol station jumped into action when the alleged abduction took place.

"I was sweeping outside, and all of a sudden this lady passed by with three kids … the guy grabbed her from there. I'm like, for me, I thought it was family joking around," said Fermin Bracero.

But the worker quickly realised what was happening.

The grandmother's screams alerted nearby people who came to her aid.

"The grandmother was screaming loud, 'He's taking the little girl!' Then I and a couple of people went to run after him," he said.

"Then he took off with the scooter," he said. "Maybe a quarter of a mile [400m] or less, he left the scooter … Then just kept walking like nothing. He was homeless. That was crazy."

After confronting the man he then put the little girl down.