2 Men Arrested Crossing George Washington Bridge Charged With Kidnapping

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Two men arrested last week crossing the George Washington Bridge into Washington Heights have been charged in a kidnapping plot.

Ishmael Castejon-Gulzar, 24, and Ricardo Coacio Reyes, 30, have been accused of kidnapping a 39-year-old man in Georgia on Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Daily News reported. While crossing the George Washington Bridge Friday Port Authority Police officers stopped their vehicle around 10:50 a.m. after the New Jersey State Police issued an alert regarding a possible abduction, said Joe Pentangelo, a Port Authority spokesman.

The two were taken into custody and a loaded 9mm Glock handgun was found in the vehicle, Pentangelo told Patch.

The 39-year-old victim was taken out of the vehicle and was treated at a local hospital for a laceration on his left leg, Pentangelo said. The victim would not tell police why he was abducted, the Daily News reported, but law enforcement is looking into a possible stolen drug shipment.

Patch editor Daniel Hubbard contributed to this report.

Photo by Álvaro Reguly via Flickr/Creative Commons