A man was arrested for aiding in the carjacking and kidnapping of a pair of people in Paterson last week, authorities announced Monday.
At around 10 p.m. on Dec. 1, members of the Bloomfield Police Department contacted the Paterson Police Department about a possible kidnapping that had occurred in their jurisdiction earlier, according to a joint statement from the departments and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
Detectives said several men had walked up to a car with two people in it at 8 p.m. in the area of Jackson Street and Washington Avenue, threatened them and then carjacked the vehicle while they were still inside. The two people were held against their will, the office said.
A little over an hour and a half later, officers from the Bloomfield Police Department located the carjacked vehicle in the area of Arlington Avenue and Watsessing Avenue and saw that it was being driven by a man later identified as 30-year-old Paterson resident Juan Montero-Pena, police said.
The officers alleged Montero-Pena was one of the men involved in carjacking and kidnapping the occupants, and he was placed under arrest, officials said. It was unclear if anyone else involved had been arrested as of Monday afternoon.
Neither of the people inside the car suffered any serious injuries, investigators said.
Montero-Pena was charged with carjacking, robbery, terroristic threats, simple assault and two counts of kidnapping, the office said.
Anyone with more information about the carjacking was asked to contact the office’s tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Paterson Police Major Crimes Division at 973-321-1120.
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
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