James W. Parrillo, 57, was arrested on kidnapping charges after allegedly holding a woman captive for over a year in Burlington County, New Jersey, choking her multiple times, and threatening to murder her family if she left him.
The woman who was held for a year against her will broke free of her alleged kidnapper earlier this month in New Jersey desperately fled to a gas station and begged for help, leading to the arrest of her accused captor, who was held on multiple charges, police say.
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The victim met Parrillo, who introduced himself to the woman as ‘Brett Parker’ at a gas station in New Mexico. Parrillo asked the victim for a ride to Arizona.
The pair engaged in a short consensual relationship, ending about a month later when they traveled to California. Parrillo started to abuse the victim, choking the woman and making her feel ‘that she was unable to leave the relationship.’ Parrillo took away the victim’s phone, spent money with her debit cards, and did not allow her to contact family members during their time together.
In late 2022, Parrillo and his victim ended up in Burlington County, New Jersey, where Parrillo, using the alias’ Brett Parker,’ rented a room on the second floor of a home in the Bass River Township.
Gas station workers saved the life of a woman who was kidnapped for a year, and NJ wants to end full-serve gas. Shouldn't the rest of the country be following us?https://t.co/0tHfk6WcRm
— Save the Whales Jersey Jackas_s (@Oldglorycries) February 18, 2023
Kidnapped woman held against her will for a YEAR broke free in New Jersey and ran to a gas station – https://t.co/fRTvBWPxFP
— rebben (@rebben02664383) February 18, 2023
On February 7, Parrillo choked the woman again, and the victim was able to flee after an argument. She spotted a gas station, and when she arrived, she told two employees that ‘Parker’ had held her against her will for about a year.
Gas station manager Bobby Madaan told ABC7 that the woman was ‘terrified’ when she reached the business.
‘She was shaking, she could barely get her words together, but she kept saying, ‘He has kept me against my will for over a year. He kidnapped me,” he said.
In video footage, the woman can be seen biking up to the gas station, followed by a large man, later identified as Parrillo. She is then taken to the shop’s back office, where she is kept separated from Parrillo.
‘Parker’ arrived at the gas station not long after the woman and attempted to bypass the dead-bolted door to enter the office but was denied.
When police arrived, Parrillo refused to give them his real name, leading to his arrest for hindering his apprehension.
Later, Parrillo gave law enforcement his real name and admitted choking the woman on February 7.
Parrillo was charged with first-degree kidnapping, alleging that he had confined the woman for about a year to terrorize her and’ inflict bodily harm.’
Attorney General Matt Platkin said, ‘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,’ he added.
Police believe that Parrillo may have engaged in similarly abhorrent ‘predatory conduct; in other states and has been known to go by multiple aliases, according to the state Attorney General’s office.
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In addition to kidnapping and resisting, Parrillo was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, criminal restraint, and obstruction.
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