New Haven Man Charged With Kidnapping, Robbing 19-Year-Old Girls At Gas Station: North Haven Police

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A New Haven man is accused of robbing and kidnapping two 19-year-old girls at a gas station in North Haven and forcing them to drive to Hartford before letting them out of the car, according to police. Keith Johnson, 53, was taken into custody Monday in connection to the Sept. 29 incident.

Just before midnight on Sept. 29, the two 19-year-old girls were fueling their vehicle at a Washington Avenue gas station, according to police.

Police said the girls were approached by a man who brandished a handgun and demanded money. The girls gave the suspect all the money they had, but the suspect ordered the girls into the car and he sat in the rear seat, according to police.

The suspect pointed the gun at the driver and gave directions to travel north on I-91. The 19-year-old drove until she was told to stop and ordered to get in the back seat, according to police.

Police said the suspect then got into the driver’s seat and drove a short distance prior to letting both girls get out of the vehicle in a neighborhood in Hartford.

Johnson was charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, robbery of an occupied vehicle, first-degree threatening and criminal possession of a firearm. He was held on a $500,000 bond and will be arraigned in Meriden Superior Court on Oct. 10.

Pictured: Keith Johnson, 53, of New Haven / North Haven Police Department