MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, New Jersey State Police Colonel Pat Callahan, Sussex County Sheriff Michael Strada, Andover Township Police Chief Eric Danielson, Bayonne Police Chief Joseph Scerbo, and Randolph Police Chief Will Harzula confirmed that Akram Elsayed, 28, of Roselle, has been charged in connection with an alleged kidnapping which occurred in Randolph, on December 5.
At approximately 2:30 p.m., the parents of the adult victim notified Bayonne Police Department that were concerned about her safety after she failed to pick up her children from school and were unable to reach her.
A subsequent investigation traced the victim to the County College of Morris in Randolph. Randolph Police officers located the victim’s vehicle in the parking lot, along with her phone, which was damaged. A review of surveillance footage showed the victim walking to her vehicle and being approached by the defendant. Surveillance also depicts the defendant’s vehicle driving out of the CCM parking lot while the victim’s vehicle remains unoccupied in the lot.
At about 9:40 p.m., police received a tip regarding the defendant’s possible whereabouts in the area of Andover Township. After locating the defendant’s vehicle in the area, the defendant was apprehended following a pursuit by officers from the Newton Police Department, Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, Andover Township Police Department, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police. Officers observed a Black Highpoint Model #C9 handgun on the ground near the open driver’s side door.
The victim was located in the front passenger seat, handcuffed to the grab handle. The victim was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
Andover Police transported the defendant and his vehicle back to their station. He was charged and subsequently transported to Morris County Correctional Facility, pending future court proceedings.
As of December 12, Elsayed has been charged with the following:
- Four counts of Carjacking, a crime of the first degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:15-2(a)(1), (2), (3), and (4)
- Four counts Kidnapping, a crime of the first degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:13-1(b)(1) and (2)
- Two counts of Burglary, a crime of the second degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2(a)(1)
- Three counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, a crime of the second degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(a)(1)
- Three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, a crime of the second degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b)(1)
- Three counts of Certain Persons Not to Possess Weapons, a crime of the third degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-7(b)(3)
- Two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a crime of the third degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b)(2)
- Aggravated Assault, a crime of the fourth degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b)(4)
- Two counts of Criminal Restraint, a crime of the third degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:13-2(a)
- Two counts of Terroristic Threats, a crime of the third degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3(b)
- Two counts of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault, a crime of the second degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1(a)(3) and N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2(a)(1)
- Four counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, a crime of the third degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-3(a)
- Six counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault, a crime of the first degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2(a)(3) and (4)
- Eluding, a crime of the second degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2(b)
- Endangering Another Person, a crime of the fourth degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:7.1(a)(2)
- Tampering with Physical Evidence, a crime of the fourth degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:28-6(1)
- Obstructing Administration of Law, a crime of the fourth degree, in violation N.J.S.A. 2C:29-1(a)
- Prohibited Weapons and Devices, a disorderly persons offense, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3(k)
- Two counts of Contempt, a crime of the fourth degree, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-9(b)(1)
The incident remains under investigation.
Prosecutor Carroll said, “This arrest was the result of the combined efforts of several law enforcement agencies – Bayonne Police Department, Andover Township Police Department, Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, Newton Police Department, NJSP, Randolph Police Department, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Digital Forensic, Intel, and Major Crimes units. Thanks to swift and coordinated action by law enforcement in Morris, Hudson, Sussex counties and our state partners, we were able to locate the victim and bring an end to this dangerous situation peacefully. We believe this was a targeted incident, and there was no danger to students or faculty of the Community College of Morris.”
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-6200.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, this defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
