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On February 7, 2023, James Parrillo Jr. was arrested in Burlington County, New Jersey, for holding a woman hostage for nearly a year.
Authorities said that Parrillo Jr., 57, met the victim in February 2022 and held her against her will while he traveled across the country. After nearly a year of being held hostage, the woman escaped from the residence they shared in New Jersey, where they moved in December 2022.
The woman reportedly ran to the nearest gas station and sought help from an attendant after locking the door, saying she had been kidnapped for approximately a year.
James Parrillo Jr. was charged with first-degree kidnapping for holding a woman against her will for nearly a year
James Parrillo Jr. has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree strangulation, aggravated assault, and third-degree criminal restraint for holding a woman hostage for nearly a year.
The woman finally managed to escape the home they shared in New Jersey to a gas station, where she called the authorities.
The woman reportedly told the police she was initially in a relationship with the suspect, whom she first met at a gas station in New Mexico in February 2022. At the time, the woman agreed to give the suspect a ride to Arizona. She began a consenting relationship with the man that lasted a month before she was allegedly physically assaulted while they were in California.
The woman then tried to leave the suspect, at which point he turned violent and held her hostage until the two arrived in New Jersey in December 2022. The two were staying in a rented room for two weeks in the Bass River.
The woman eventually managed to flee her abductor at a gas station following an argument with Parrillo, who allegedly beat and choked her during the confrontation.
Authorities said that the suspect was caught on a gas station surveillance camera following the woman, who had run inside the store and bolted the doors after her. Following an unsuccessful attempt to break open the doors, the suspect was captured leaving the premises.
Additional charges against James Parrillo Jr.
James Parrillo Jr. was arrested shortly after and was charged with third-degree hindering apprehension, fourth-degree obstruction, and refusing to provide a DNA sample in addition to the kidnapping charges.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement that he was reaching out to law enforcement across the country for any information on the suspect in custody after information from another alleged victim on social media revealed that he might have engaged in similar conduct with other women.
The statement read:
“This is a deeply disturbing case in which the defendant allegedly held a woman against her will for nearly a year, while travelling with her throughout the country, before ending up here in New Jersey where she was able to escape.”
He added:
"We are reaching out to law enforcement across jurisdictions to identify other people who may have additional information on the defendant."
James Parrillo Jr. is being detained at the Burlington County Jail while awaiting trial.
