Crime & Safety

“Somebody Tried to Throw a Kid in Front of the Train,” Good Samaritan Tells Cops in 911 Call

A Wyckoff man allegedly tried to push two boys in front of a moving train in Ramsey Monday

The swift action of a mother and grandmother, and help from an unrelated bystander helped save the lives of two kid brothers .

release audio clips Wednesday afternoon of a bystander calling 911 to report the incident, just before 2:30 p.m. on Labor Day.

“We need somebody to come to the Ramsey Main Street Train Station,” the caller says to a 911 dispatcher. “Somebody tried to throw a kid in front of the train.”

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The caller describes the man’s appearance and clothing to the dispatcher, and tells him that the boys’ mother and grandmother have tackled the man to the ground.

As a result of the 911 call, David Howard, 48, of Wyckoff, was arrested after allegedly grabbing the two boys and trying to drag them toward the moving train, Ramsey Police Chief Bryan Gurney said. Howard was charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a police officer, according to Ramsey Police.

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The two victims — 7- and 9-year-old brothers from Glen Rock — were not hurt.

Listen to the entire audio of the 911 calls above. 

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