CLINTON, Conn. — Six adults and three youths were arrested late Monday in connection with an interstate kidnapping case that ended in a disturbance at the Clinton Crossing Outlet Mall.
Police said around 11:35 p.m. they were called to a noise complaint in the parking lot of the outlets located at 20 Killingworth Turnpike. The caller reported a loud group of people in the parking lot creating a disturbance after the outlets had closed for the evening.
When they arrived on scene, they found seven men and three youths in the parking lot. One of the men, later identified as the victim, told police that he had been kidnapped in New Rochelle, New York after being threatened with a gun and brought to Clinton by the other nine individuals on scene.
A police K-9 was requested to respond to assist with the search for evidence on scene. The police K-9 helped locate a black fake gun which, according to police, looked similar to a real gun in the woods next to where the people were standing. Also located on scene was a baseball bat, police-issued pepper spray, and ski masks.
According to a warrant, the dispute centered on drugs and money.
The victim was transported to the hospital for his injuries, police said.
Based on the investigation, Gerson Isaias Jimenez Mendoza,19, of Port Chester, NY; Keneth Munoz, 23, of Stamford; Edgar Palencia Marroquin, 27, of Stamford; Dario Taveras, 21, of Port Chester, NY; Justim Vargas, 19, of Port Chester, NY; Javier Ventura-Vasquez, 20, of Port Chester, NY; were arrested and charged with Kidnapping in the First Degree with a Firearm, Illegal Use of a Facsimile Firearm, Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Assault in the Third Degree, Threatening in the Second Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping in the First Degree with a Firearm, Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Use of a Facsimile Firearm, Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Assault in the Third Degree, Threatening in the Second Degree, Risk if Injury to a Child. All adults were held on a $250,000 bond.
The three youths were arrested and charged with violating Kidnapping in the First Degree with a Firearm, Illegal Use of a Facsimile Firearm, Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Assault in the Third Degree, Threatening in the Second Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping in the First Degree with a Firearm, Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Use of a Facsimile Firearm, Conspiracy to Commit Unlawful Restraint in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Assault in the Third Degree, Threatening in the Second Degree. All youths were taken into custody and brought to the Bridgeport Juvenile Detention Center. Their names were not released.
The kidnapping appears to have been a targeted and isolated incident with the victim being known to the offenders. There is no ongoing threat to the public according to police.
Clinton police did not release the names of the people arrested.
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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