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Woman Accused Of Dragging Girl, 6, Out Of Tax Prep Office In Freeport

FREEPORT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A woman stood charged Tuesday with grabbing a 6-year-old girl by the arm in a Long Island tax preparation office and dragging her outside.

Lela Witts, 20, of Roosevelt, was in the Liberty Tax Service office at 83 W. Merrick Rd. in Freeport around 8:30 p.m. Monday, when she grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her outside the to the sidewalk, Nassau County police said.

The girl's mother, who was with her, struggled with Witts until she was able to free her daughter and go back into the tax prep office, police said. The girl's mother then notified police, while a witness followed the suspect across the street into a diner and pointed her out to officers, police said.

No injuries were reported.

Witts was charged with second-degree attempted kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment, police said.

She was arraigned Tuesday at Nassau County First District Court in Hempstead.

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