Girl, 5, Rescued After Being Held Hostage By Mom's Ex-Boyfriend: Jersey City Cops

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A 5-year-old child was rescued after she was held hostage in Jersey City on Sunday, police say.

Police said that when they responded to a domestic violence call on Sunday, 33-year-old Kevin Evans of Newark barricaded himself inside an apartment with his ex-girlfriend's daughter, 5.

Police said that their Emergency Service Unit responded to Claremont Avenue to find a 39-year-old woman who was "visibly distraught and bleeding from the mouth."

She said her ex-boyfriend had climbed a fire escape and broken a window to get into her apartment. Then he struck her multiple times and threatened her life, she said.

She escaped, but the suspect then locked her out, barricading himself inside the apartment, where her daughter remained.

When police heard the girl crying, they forced their way inside and found her unharmed, they said. She was reunited with her mother.

Evans climbed out via the fire escape and broke into an apartment above, police said. He then barricaded himself again.

ESU officers — "who are highly training and certified crisis and hostage negotiators," police said — continued to talk to him for nearly three hours until he surrendered.

He was arrested and taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Evans was charged with bail jumping, home invasion burglary, aggravated assault, criminal restraint-risk of serious bodily injury, bodily injury, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of a child, failure to allow fingerprinting, and criminal mischief, police said.

The mother declined treatment for herself and her daughter at the scene, police said.

Mayor James Solomon and Public Safety Director Ambrose praised the officers. “This incident could have ended in tragedy,” Solomon said.

Anyone with information related to this or other incidents is asked to contact the Jersey City Police Department or submit tips anonymously through email at policetips@njjcps.org or by calling 855-JCP-TIPS.