Two men have been arrested near the George Washington Bridge toll plaza in connection with a possible kidnapping plot, officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.
Ishmael Castejon-Gulzar, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Ricardo Coacio Reyes, of Norcross, Georgia, were arrested by Port Authority police officers Friday. The 24-year-old and 30-year-old were charged with kidnapping, carjacking, aggravated assault, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal restraint.
Castejon-Gulzar and Reyes are being held at Bergen County Jail, police said. Bail was set at $2 million each.
Westbound traffic on the upper level of the bridge was stopped for 15 minutes in connection with the arrest, officials said.
Port Authority Police Officer Brian Ahern received information regarding a vehicle with persons wanted for a reported kidnapping heading toward the George Washington Bridge at around 10 a.m., authorities said.
Ahern and Officer James O'Neil situated themselves near the bridge's toll plaza, where they saw the vehicle in question with Georgia license plates. The men confirmed the Toyota was the car in question after observing from behind and pulled over the vehicle, which had two men in the front and a backseat passenger.
All three occupants were removed from the car. Authorities said that the front seat passenger was later identified as the victim, a 39-year-old man from Gwinnet County, Georgia. Police recovered a loaded 9 mm glock handgun form the vehicle.
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The victim told police that he was driven from Georgia to New York against his will by Castejon-Gulzar and Reyes in an apparent kidnapping. He reported that he was stabbed in his left leg before the men began the drive to New York.
The victim was taken to Englewood Hospital for his injury, and the car was impounded, police said.
