Child abduction suspect eludes capture as pursuit takes unthinkable turn

A Queens kidnapping suspect died in a violent crash while attempting to evade police. His death brought an end to a manhunt following the abduction and sexual assault of a 9-year-old girl the previous day, New York Police Department officials said.

Wayne Noel, 64, of Queens, was identified as the suspect in the kidnapping that occurred the previous evening at a Key Foods grocery store in Queens Village. The incident led to an intense search that culminated in a fatal collision when Noel refused to pull over for police, according to NYPD officials.

Officials reported that Noel was behind the wheel of a silver Honda Civic when law enforcement tried to halt the vehicle, which was associated with the abduction. Noel allegedly drove away quickly, which led to a brief NYPD car chase that concluded when he collided with an SUV at a Queens Village intersection.

Surveillance footage captured the moment Noel's vehicle collided with the SUV. Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash, followed by police officers rushing to the scene. One bystander recounted, "The cops were telling the guy 'show me your hands, show me your hands' and they tried to pull him out."

Noel was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the SUV sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and no pedestrians were harmed in the incident.

The crash occurred less than 24 hours after the reported child abduction in Queens. According to NYPD officials, the 9-year-old victim was at the Key Foods store on Jamaica Avenue with her grandmother shortly after 7 p.m. When the grandmother briefly left to use the restroom, the suspect, who was already in the store, approached the girl.

NYPD Assistant Chief Jason Savino said the suspect told the child to "get in front of me" before grabbing her hair and forcibly removing her from the store. The man then pushed the girl into his vehicle and drove to a nearby location, where he sexually assaulted her.

A passerby interrupted the assault, prompting the suspect to flee. However, he allegedly returned to an area near the Key Foods store and assaulted the victim again. "As a response, the subject cowardly drives away and parks once again in close proximity, right back again in that Key Food store area, and once again sexually assaults our survivor," Savino said.

After the second assault, the suspect allegedly abandoned the girl on the street and fled in his vehicle. The victim's grandmother reported her missing, initiating a frantic search. The child was eventually located and taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Before the deadly accident, law enforcement had issued a picture of the perpetrator, identifying him as a heavy build male with a blue MTA cap, clear spectacles, a pink shirt, and blue jeans. They also circulated a wanted poster featuring an image of the suspect's vehicle.

NYPD officials revealed during a Friday evening press conference that Noel had four prior arrests, with the most recent stemming from a 2022 robbery involving the same vehicle used in Thursday's incident.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry expressed outrage over the crime in a statement. "I am disgusted after hearing about the abduction/sexual assault of a minor in the confines of the 105th Precinct. This predator is the epitome of evil. It is almost unfathomable that such evil could take hold in a city we call home. The NYPD will not rest until this fiend is locked up behind iron bars. We will give this little girl justice," Daughtry said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority clarified that while Noel worked for an MTA contractor, he never entered MTA property or conducted MTA business.

As the investigation into this sexual assault suspect crash continues, authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward.