Three Sentenced In Savage 2016 Kidnapping

Three Nassau men were sentenced to jail time on Wednesday for the kidnapping and assault of a Valley Stream man last March in which they handcuffed, stabbed and beat a man and then left him for dead outside a hospital.

Jesus Maldonado, 23, of West Hempstead; Jorge Freire-Romero, 20, of Valley Stream; and Jonathan Faneytt, 22, of Valley Stream all pleaded guilty to the charges against them on March 29. Maldonado and Faneytt were both convicted of second-degree kidnapping and sentenced to five years in prison. Freire-Romero was convicted of first-degree assault and sentenced to seven years in prison.

“This victim was savagely stabbed, pistol-whipped, beaten and kidnapped, and then left for dead outside a hospital,” said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. “This was a horrifically brutal attack and I thank our prosecutors and the police for bringing these defendants to justice.”

At about 7 p.m. on March 14, 2016, the victim climbed through the window of a house on Jedwood Place in Valley Stream. The victim stated that his girlfriend used to live in the home and he was going inside to gather some of her belongings. The three defendants, who were inside the house, heard him come through the window and immediately caught him and began to assault him.

The defendants handcuffed the victim’s wrists behind his back and dragged him into a bathroom where he was stabbed multiple times. The victim was then tied him to a chair in a living room, blindfolded and pistol-whipped. Following the assault, Friere-Romero called an associate with a car to take the victim to the vicinity of Franklin General Hospital in Valley Stream.

When they arrived near the hospital, Friere-Romero removed the victim from the car and stabbed him again multiple times. The victim was left on the ground bleeding, still handcuffed behind his back, but managed to get up on his feet and walk into the emergency room. While in the process of standing up, his clothing came off and when he walked into the ER, he was naked and bleeding from his stab wounds. In total, the victim suffered 11 stab wounds, a collapsed lung and a punctured liver. He has since recovered from his injuries.

Nassau County Police interviewed the victim at the hospital. Based on the interview, and additional evidence recovered at the residence, the police arrested all three men.

Jorge Freire-Romero, left, Jesus Maldonado and Jonathan Faneytt. Photos: Nassau County District Attorney's Office.