Hartsdale Couple And Their Nanny Accused Of Kidnapping, Brutally Assaulting Teen: DA

HARTSDALE, NY — A Westchester tattoo parlor owner, his wife, and their nanny are accused of kidnapping and tormenting a teenager in their Hartsdale home.

Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced the indictments and arrests of the married Hartsdale couple and their nanny who were charged in connection with the kidnapping and assault of a 19-year old Queens woman.

On May 16, Wayne Barnes, the owner of the Sons of Ink tattoo parlor in the Bronx, offered a ride home to the 19-year old female victim, an employee of Barnes. Barnes, who is married to co-defendant Jasmine Barnes, had become romantically involved with the victim, according to the accusations. On the drive to the victim's home in Queens, Barnes got into an argument with the victim at which time he forced her out of the car along the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, according to prosecutors. After allowing the victim back in the car, he is accused of assaulting her, striking her numerous times with an expandable metal baton, according to court filings.

After receiving a phone call from his wife, co-defendant Jasmine Barnes, Wayne Barnes then drove back to the Bronx to pick up his wife, repeatedly striking the victim with the metal baton along the way, according to police. Jasmine Barnes, who was allegedly wearing black gloves and was also armed with a metal baton, then joined her husband and the victim and began to drive to their home in Hartsdale, prosecutors said.

After arriving home in Hartsdale, Wayne and Jasmine Barnes dragged the victim into their home, where Jasmine Barnes pushed the victim down a flight of stairs, dragged her by the hair and struck her with the metal baton, according to the charges.

Lizbeth Cerrato-Sanchez, the nanny for the Barnes family, was at the Hartsdale home tending to the Barnes children at the time. At one point, Cerrato-Sanchez also assaulted the victim, prosecutors said, punching her in the face while Barnes continued to strike the victim with the baton.

After allowing Cerrato-Sanchez to go home, Wayne and Jasmine Barnes continued to argue with and threaten the teen, according to investigators.

The victim was eventually able to convince Jasmine Barnes to give her cell phone back to her and was allowed to change out of her bloody clothes into clean clothes, according to police. She was eventually allowed to leave the house and go home in an Uber. The next day, she was treated at a local hospital for injuries and then reported the ordeal to the Greenburgh Police Department.

"The level of depravity shown by the defendants in this case is astonishing. Incidents like this underscore the importance of multiple jurisdictions being able to work together to swiftly deliver justice," Cacace said. "I commend all of the agencies involved in this important case."

The multi-jurisdictional case is being handled by the Greenburgh Police Department, Assistant District Attorneys Mollie O’Rourke and Sarah Gewirtz of the Special Prosecutions Division of the Westchester County DA's Office, the NYPD, the Bronx DA's Office and the Nassau County DA's Office.

After an investigation, the Greenburgh Police Department placed all three under arrest on May 20.

Wayne Barnes, 44, was charged with kidnapping, criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of second-degree assault, and three counts of third-degree assault. He was released on $300,000 bond.

Jasmine Barnes, 42, was charged with second-degree kidnapping, second-degree menacing, two counts of second-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. She was released on bail.

Lizbeth Cerrato-Sanchez, 19, of Yonkers, was charged with second-degreeassault, and criminal possession of a weapon. She was released on $10,000 bond.

All three defendants were arraigned on July 10.

Wayne and Jasmine Barnes are due back in court in Westchester on July 29. Lizbeth Cerrato-Sanchez is due back in court on August 7.

Jasmine Barnes also faces the following charges in the Bronx, including first-degree attempted assault, second-degree assault, second-degree attempted assault, unlawful imprisonment, menacing, third-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and harassment.