Man Accused Of Abducting Girlfriend, Baby From Jackson Home

JACKSON, NJ — A Lakewood man is accused of abducting his girlfriend and their baby from her home in Jackson, forcing them into an SUV and taking off late Tuesday night, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday.

Gerson A. Aguilar-Lara, 24, of Lakewood, has been charged with two counts of kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child, and robbery, in connection with a series of events in Jackson Township that happened Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, according to a joint news release from Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Jackson Township Police Chief Matthew Kunz.

The Ocean County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from a woman about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday seeking help, Billhimer said, but the call was disconnected. The woman was able to call back and give her name and basic information before the call ended again, he said.

Jackson police were able to find the woman was calling from a home on North Chapel Road in Jackson, and learned the woman and baby had been forced into a Chevrolet Equinox by Aguilar-Lara, who they learned was dating the woman and was the father of the baby, Billhimer said.

Aguilar-Lara had then driven away, he said.

Authorities put out a description of the Equinox and began searching, and about 3:15 a.m. Toms River police saw the Equinox as it turned into a parking lot on Route 37 in Toms River. As the vehicle came to a stop, Aguilar-Lara took off running, but he ran from the vehicle. He was arrested a short time later by Toms River police, Billhimer said.

Neither the woman nor her infant child were harmed, he said.

Authorities did not say what prompted the robbery charge.

Aguilar-Lara is being held in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime, High Tech Crime and Special Offenders units, Jackson Township Police, Lakewood Township Police, Toms River Police, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit collaborated on the investigation.