Camden Man Charged with Route 130 Carjacking

Frankie Gonzalez, 19, has been charged with carjacking and kidnapping a 79-year-old Cranbury Township resident, who was released unharmed, Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Cranbury Police Chief Rickey A. Varga announced Tuesday evening.

Gonzalez was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery, theft, burglary and making terroristic threats after he allegedly crashed the unidentified victim’s car on an exit ramp off Route 195 into Hightstown, Carey and Varga said. Gonzalez was allegedly attempting to elude police at the time of the crash, and was uninjured.

Gonzalez was lodged in the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick on $500,000 bail.

According to New Jersey State Police, Gonzalez was released at 8:30 a.m. Monday morning.

He was back in custody by 11 a.m. the same day as a result of this incident, which began at 10:25 a.m. when officials say Gonzalez approached the victim as he sat at a red light in his car.

The victim was driving a 2009 Mercedes CLK, and was stopped on Route 130 south at the Dey Road intersection when he was approached by Gonzalez.

Gonzalez allegedly told the victim he had a gun, entered the car and told the victim to drive south on Route 130, according to Carey and Varga.

Gonzalez released the victim on North Main Street in Cranbury and continued to drive, Carey and Varga said.

Hightstown Police were alerted to the crime and spotted Gonzalez on Route 130 in Robbinsville. They pulled the car over, but after stopping briefly, Gonzalez fled the scene, Carey and Varga said.

He hopped on 195 West, where he crashed the car at about 10:45 a.m. State Police had joined the search, and captured Gonzalez, Carey and Varga said.

State Police returned Gonzalez to Cranbury, where he was charged.

State Police were unaware why Gonzalez was previously incarcerated prior to his release Monday morning.