Teens Arrested For Yonkers/Bronx Kidnappings, Carjackings & Robberies

YONKERS, NY — Two Bronx teens are accused of luring victims to Yonkers with the hope of purchasing a used car, but instead subjected them to violent crimes, according to the feds.

Diante Fernandes and Mark Francis, both of the Bronx, were arrested in connection with a series of recent carjackings in Yonkers and the Bronx. Fernandes and Francis had their initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy and were ordered to be detained, Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Wednesday.

According to court documents, between September 26 and 27, Fernandes and Francis carjacked, robbed and kidnapped multiple victims, in Yonkers and the Bronx. On both days, the defendants lured victims to a location in Yonkers using an ad for a used car posted on Facebook Marketplace.

When the victims arrived, hoping to buy the car, the pair forced the victims, at gunpoint, into the car they were considering buying, authorities said. Fernandes and Francis then drove around the NYC area, forcing the victims to withdraw money from bank accounts and threatening to kill them if they did not comply, according to officials. The two men stole the victims’ money, wallets and phones, prosecutors said. According to the complaint, on at least one occasion, Fernandes and Francis held a victim captive in the car for several hours. They are also accused of leaving the victims on the street and stealing the cars the victims had driven to the meeting place.

Fernandes, 19, and Francis, 18, are charged with carjacking, Hobbs Act robbery, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit these offenses, as well as possessing a firearm during the offenses. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and also thanked Yonkers PD, Westchester County PD, the Westchester County Real Time Crime Center and the NYPD.