Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney criticized a judge’s decision to release a man accused of taking a 4-year-old girl from a laundromat in Patchogue, calling the allegations in the case “concerning” and warning about potential risks to the community, as reported by The New York Post.

Authorities said Carlos Corte, 38, was charged Sunday with second-degree kidnapping after allegedly leading a young child away from her mother and out the back of Laundry Kingdom in Patchogue, Long Island.

Despite the charge, James F. Leonick ordered Corte released on supervised release with a GPS monitor. Corte also had an outstanding bench warrant at the time of his arrest, according to prosecutors.

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Tierney said he disagreed with the decision to release the defendant, given the circumstances outlined in the case.

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“We respectfully disagree with it [the outcome]. I think if you look at the facts of the case, clearly they’re concerning,” Tierney said Sunday.

“Also, you have a situation where there was already a bench warrant issued. This person has tenuous ties to the jurisdiction,” he added.

The district attorney said the case may require further action from prosecutors moving forward.

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“So this is just another situation where it appears as though, you know, we’re gonna have to act and act quickly to protect the community,” Tierney said.

During Corte’s arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip, his defense attorney, Alexandra Dyroff, argued that the incident was the result of a misunderstanding tied to a language barrier.

“Your honor, my client has had zero interaction with law enforcement. We’re asking for a release on his own recognizance. He thought the girl lived alone without parents,” Dyroff told the court.

“He took her to the library and told an employee there as such, but there was a language barrier. It seems to be a mistake,” she added.

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Prosecutors rejected that explanation, with Tierney saying the defense’s argument did not resolve concerns about how the situation was handled.

”So there’s a lost child, and you believe a child is lost, and then you take that child to another place, and then you just leave that child there, isn’t that worse?” Tierney said. “Again, these are allegations.”

According to Tierney, Corte made statements to Suffolk County police after being taken into custody.

“I made a mistake when I took that child from here,” Tierney said Corte told officers in substance.

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Tierney emphasized that anyone who intervenes in a situation involving a child has a responsibility to ensure their safety.

“Once you interpose and intervene with the child, you have a responsibility,” he said. “You can’t just leave a child somewhere else.”

Prosecutors had requested significant bail in the case, including a $150,000 cash bail, a $300,000 bond, or a $1.5 million partially secured bond, citing the seriousness of the allegations and Corte’s existing warrant.

“I think given the facts of this case … given the fact that he already has a bench warrant out and it’s alleged that he removed, he kidnapped this child from away from their mother … based on all those factors, that’s why we asked for such a high bail,” Tierney said.

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Judge Leonick ordered Corte to return to court on April 16 in connection with a separate charge tied to a warrant issued by the Village Court of Patchogue.

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