A 28-year-old man was arrested in connection to two kidnapping and armed robbery incidents in Paterson that took place late last month, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Diquan West was charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, two counts of unlawful possession of a handgun, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of certain persons not to have weapons; three counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact, and one count of attempted aggravated criminal sexual contact for two alleged incidents that took place on April 20 and April 23, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes announced Monday.
According to prosecutors, on April 20, a 27-year-old woman reported that at around 6 a.m. a man with a gun in the vicinity of Market Street and East 22nd Street forced her to go with him to a secluded area near the train tracks where he robbed her, touched her inappropriately and then fled. Three days later, on April 23, a 28-year-old woman reported to police that shortly after 5 a.m. an armed man took her belongings and forced her to go to another location where he tried to touch her inappropriately before running away.
A subsequent investigation into the two alleged incidents identified West as the assailant in both. He was arrested last Monday.
If convicted, West faces decades behind bars, including 15 to 30 years in state prison for each kidnapping count and 10 to 20 years in prison for each count of armed robbery.
Attorney information for West was not immediately known.
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