Terrifying moment NYC teen is attacked by ex-boyfriend who waited for her in apartment stairwell then pounced , dragging her down the stairs, before her mom intervened

Terrifying video shows the moment a teenage girl was grabbed from the hallway outside the door of her New York City home by a man who leapt out from the stairwell. 

Doorbell footage from the Astoria, Queens, apartment building captured the moment the grocery store worker tried to snatch the 18-year-old girl as she returned home from taking the dog for a walk around 9am on January 23. 

The girl's mother, Adriana Alvarez, 35, sprinted out of the house to stop the attempted kidnapping moments later. She said a scuffle ensued down the staircase, and the incident left her daughter badly bruised. 

NYPD told DailyMail.com the perpetrator, George Vassiliou, 25, of Queens, is the victim's ex-boyfriend. 

'From the fourth to the first floor, we were just tumbling, fighting,' Alvarez told CBS News.

Terrifying video shows the moment a teenage girl was grabbed from the hallway outside the door of her New York City home by a man who leapt out from the stairwell

Police say George Vassiliou, 25, of Queens, jumped out from hiding to attack his ex-girlfriend, 18, before her mom ran out and she and the suspect went tumbling down the stairs

The incident left mom Adriana Alvarez with several injuries including a dislocated shoulder

Alvarez sprinted to her daughter's aid seconds after she was snatched in the video. She told CBS she sprang into action after hearing 'just the most horrific scream you can think of'.  

'It just... a stump and a scream,' she told the broadcaster. 'I run out and I see her being dragged by this man down the fourth floor,' Alvarez said.

NYPD told DailyMail.com Vassiliou 'threw her down the stairs', deployed pepper spray in her face and 'punched her several times in the face' during the attack, which unfolded at 25 Avenue and 43rd Street in Astoria. 

Video shows the teenage girl returning home with a small dog, before Vassiliou leaps over a bannister out of nowhere and pounces on her. 

She screams as he grabs her from behind and they disappear from view down the stairwell.  

He 'dragged her, threw her down the stairs and punched her several times in the face causing pain,' NYPD said.    

'The suspect then removed pepper spray from his pocket and sprayed her in the face... he then threw her down the stairs, where he began to kick her in the back causing pain, bruising, and a dislocated shoulder.'

'From the fourth to the first floor, we were just tumbling, fighting,' Alvarez told CBS News.

Video shows the teenage girl returning home with a small dog, before Vassiliou leaps over a bannister out of nowhere and pounces on her

She screams as he grabs her from behind and they disappear from view down the stairwell

The teen also suffered bruises in the surprise attack inside the Astoria apartment building

Alvarez sprinted to her daughter's aid seconds after she was snatched in the video

Alvarez also said the suspect had worked at a local grocery store with his daughter, until the relationship got 'weird.' 

'He started following her and started hiding behind cars,' Alvarez said. 

Vassiliou is being held in West Facility, East Elmhurst, a prison for 'inmates with contagious diseases' on a $50,000 bond according to the NYC Department of Correction. 

The family's neighbor, Gus Bougas, also ran to help after hearing the commotion. He grabbed Vassiliou, who ran away before lurking in wait for the mother and daughter across the street. 

'We were touching, pushing each other,' Bougas told CBS. 'I put my foot in front and threw him on the floor and landed on top of him. Tried to keep him restrained until the cops came.' 

Alvarez praised Bougas as their 'hero.' 'God forbid if he wasn't here, he would have ran away again.'