Man Pleads Guilty to 2012 Parsippany Carjacking

Striking a deal with the state that would drop a host of charges, a Rutherford man pleaded guilty to first-degree carjacking in court Tuesday, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp announced.

Joseph DeFreitas, 43, admitted to the charge stemming from a Dec. 29, 2012 incident in which he and a co-defendant took an elderly New Hampshire woman’s car with her in it, forced her to take money out of an automated teller machine, and subsequently locked her in the trunk of the vehicle, Knapp said.

By pleading guilty to the carjacking charge, DeFreitas won’t face charges of kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and credit card fraud, Knapp said.

The victim, 71, from New Hampshire, lost her way while traveling home from a visit with her family in Mt. Laurel. While looking for directions, the victim pulled into a parking lot where she was approached by DeFreitas, who forced the woman into the passenger seat of the car.

DeFreitas then took control of the vehicle and drove the victim to the automated teller machine and forced her to take money out. DeFreitas then left the area with the co-defendant, Marilyn Nadeau, 53, following in a vehicle behind, Knapp said.

DeFreitas brought the car to an industrial park on Woodhollow Road in Parsippany, and he and Nadeau forced the victim into the trunk of her own car and fled the scene.

The state is recommending a sentence of 25 years in New Jersey State Prison, 85-percent of which DeFreitas will have to serve before becoming eligible for parole.

Charges against Nadeau remain open and are scheduled for Dec. 2.