Man Kidnapped 2 NJ Residents, Held Them For Ransom In MA

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A man originally from the Dominican Republic has admitted to kidnapping two North Jersey residents and holding them for ransom, according to officials.

Joel Ramon Garcia, 33, pleaded guilty on Sept. 9 to his role in kidnapping two Paterson residents, driving them across state lines, and demanding ransom in 2023.

According to court documents, Garcia and suspect Julio Cesar Paniagua kidnapped two people in Paterson at gunpoint on or around Nov. 15, 2023.

The duo drove the victims nearly four hours away to Dedham, Massachusetts, and demanded ransom for them, officials said.

The kidnappers then called one of the victims’ fathers and said that the victims’ fingers would be cut off if a $30,000 ransom was not paid.

The victims were released roughly two days later. It is not clear if a ransom had ever been paid.

Garcia now faces up to life in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. He is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 20, 2026.