Man Arrested for Kidnapping and Assaulting Woman He Met in New Mexico

A man has been arrested in New Jersey and charged with kidnapping, strangulation, and aggravated assault of a woman he met in New Mexico last year. James W. Parrillo Jr., 57, was arrested on February 7th, after the victim escaped from the residence they shared and fled to a nearby gas station. Parrillo is currently detained in Burlington County Jail, pending trial.

According to court documents, the victim met the defendant, who went by the name of "Brett Parker," at a gas station on Interstate 10 in New Mexico in February 2022. The woman agreed to give Parrillo a ride to Arizona, but she was allegedly physically assaulted by him while they were in California. The woman felt unable to leave the relationship and was isolated from her family. Parrillo is also accused of taking away the woman's phone and using her debit cards.

The pair arrived in New Jersey in December, and the woman had been staying with Parrillo in a rented room in Bass for around two weeks when she managed to escape. She fled to safety at a nearby gas station, where she told an attendant she had been kidnapped for approximately a year. The woman had noticed an interior deadbolt on a previous visit, which allowed her to plan her escape.

On February 7th, Parrillo allegedly began assaulting the woman during an argument inside the residence they shared with several other individuals. He stopped the assault when he realized they were not alone in the house, and the woman ran from the house wearing nothing but shorts and a shirt in the freezing weather. Parrillo allegedly followed her to the gas station and attempted to open the door, but he left when he found it locked. An attendant at the station called the New Jersey State Police, who apprehended Parrillo as he walked down County Road 542.

Parrillo is also charged with third-degree hindering apprehension, fourth-degree obstruction, and refusing to provide a DNA sample. Assistant Attorney General Theresa Hilton is prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice, with assistance from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

Parrillo faces serious charges, with first-degree kidnapping carrying a sentence of 15 to 30 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000. Fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The New Jersey State Police are leading an ongoing investigation into the case, and it has been suggested that Parrillo may have engaged in similar predatory conduct with individuals in other states. Assistant Attorney General Theresa Hilton has argued that public safety demands that Parrillo not be released on bail.

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