ANGRY FATHER LOOKING FOR JUSTICE

FDNY dad confronts daughter’s alleged attacker in court

By Kevin Sheehan and Gabrielle Fonrouge

New York Post
December 16, 2019

The FDNY firefighter whose daughter was chased into the street by a deranged man — and then hit by a car — confronted the girl’s alleged attacker in court Monday, yelling “I want justice!” at him.

“Hey Kevin, that was my 14-year-old child you attacked!” enraged dad Omar Wilks hollered at Kevin Ramtahal, 23, as the suspect was being led into Queens Criminal Court on Monday morning.

“’Daddy, am I going to die?’ That’s what my daughter asked me,” said Wilks, who treated his daughter the day she was injured. “Remember those words.”

Ramtahal stopped dead in his tracks as he faced Wilks’ fury and stared back at him with wide eyes.

“Escort that gentleman,” Judge Jeffrey Gershuny said as two court officers walked over to Wilks and told him to step out, whispering that they “understand.”

Ramtahal is accused of chasing Wilks’ daughter Amara Wilks into traffic as she was walking to school around 7:30 a.m. Dec. 6.

“I’m coming for you!” Ramtahal allegedly yelled at the teen, causing her to run into the street, where she was hit by a car, suffering serious injuries to her leg.

Wilks, a firefighter with Engine 294 in Queens, actually responded to the scene and got the shock of his life when he saw it was his own daughter bleeding on the ground.

He then vowed to track Ramtahal down — and with some help from an anonymous tip from Facebook, led the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct right to the man’s doorstep.

“I was in my daughter’s hospital room on Tuesday, December 10th when many leads started coming in. On Facebook, an anonymous lead with his location came in. I told my daughter, ‘I’m going to keep my word and catch Kevin even if I have to do it myself,’” Wilks told The Post.

“I called the detectives at the 102 en route and asked them to send someone but if they couldn’t, I’d catch him myself and bring him down to them. They sent a car and by the time I arrived, he was already in custody at the location I told them about.”

Ramtahal — who was in court for a status hearing — is being held on $2,500 bail.

He is facing a slew of charges, including endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment, but Wilks wants to see those charges upgraded as new bail reform guidelines are set to hit the city by Jan. 1.

“If you say that you are for the children, Melinda Katz, I challenge you to step up to the plate and hold this criminal accountable with violent felony charges,” Wilks said outside of court, referring to incoming Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

“There is no reason he should be on the street on Jan. 1 after attacking a little girl.”

Wilks said of his earlier outburst that he “was angry” — and needed to prevent himself from physically attacking Ramtahal.

“I felt like leaping over the table and grabbing him up as a father, but out of respect for the court, I maintained discipline and made it clear to him that I am determined to get justice,” he said.

“I will get justice,” he repeated.