NEW JERSEY — A man was arrested after a woman who was being held against her will for nearly one year escaped in New Jersey, authorities said.
In a news release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin’s office said that James W Parrillo Jr., 57, was arrested on Feb. 7 after a woman escaped from a house in Bass River Township that they shared. The woman fled to a gas station in the area.
The gas station owner told CNN that the woman had rushed into the business and locked the door behind her. He said he saw a man running behind her who tried to get inside the gas station. The gas station owner said that once the man realized that he wouldn’t be able to get into the business, he left.
Parrillo was charged with kidnapping a woman that he met in New Mexico sometime last year, officials said. Platkin’s office said that he took her to New Jersey and assaulted her inside a house that they rented in Burlington County.
Parrillo has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree strangulation, aggravated assault and third-degree criminal restraint, according to Platkin.
“This is a deeply disturbing case in which the defendant allegedly held a woman against her will for nearly a year, while traveling with her throughout the country, before ending up here in New Jersey where she was able to escape,” Platkin said in the news release.
“We are reaching out to law enforcement across jurisdictions to identify other people who may have additional information on the defendant. Our investigation is ongoing and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure we bring justice to this survivor.”
The woman’s name has not been released.
“The allegations of kidnapping and abuse at the hands of the defendant represent a year-long nightmare endured by the victim that spanned several states across the country ultimately coming to an end here in New Jersey,” Col. Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in the news release.
“The dedication and diligence of the troopers, detectives, and members of the Division of Criminal Justice is to be commended, but the strength and bravery of the female victim who successfully escaped her assailant is nothing short of heroic. We encourage anyone who has information or evidence related to the criminal allegations against the defendant to contact the New Jersey State Police.”
The investigation is ongoing by the New Jersey State Police, according to Platkin.
Anyone with information is asked to contact New Jersey State Police at 855-363-6548.