New York Teens Accused of Kidnapping Many People in Hudson Valley

Two New York teens are accused of coming to the Hudson Valley to kidnap, rob and more.

On Wednesday, September 28, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, announced that two teens from the Bronx were arrested in connection with a series of recent carjackings and kidnappings in the Bronx and Yonkers, New York.

Two Bronx Men Arrested For Multiple Kidnappings, Carjackings And Robberies in Bronx And Yonkers, New York

Diante Fernandes, 19, and 19-year-old Mark Francis, both from the Bronx, were both charged with carjacking, Hobbs Act robbery, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit these offenses, as well as possessing a firearm during the offenses.

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Bronx Men Accused of Kidnapping People in Westchester County, New York

Between September 26 and 27, 2022, both carjacked, robbed, and kidnapped multiple victims, in the Bronx and Westchester County, New York, officials say.

Once on September 26 and then again on September 27, Fernandes and Francis allegedly lured victims to an undislocated location in Yonkers using an ad for a used car posted on Facebook Marketplace.

When the victims arrived, hoping to buy the car, the Bronx men are accused of forcing the victims, at gunpoint, into the car they were considering buying. Fernandes and Francis then drove around the New York City area, forcing the victims to withdraw money from bank accounts and threatening to kill them if they did not comply, according to court documents.

Officials also allege the men stole the victim’s money, wallets and phones. On at least one occasion, they held a victim captive in the car for several hours.

Fernandes and Francis also left the victims on the street and stole the cars the victims drove to the meeting place, police say.

Both face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and also thanked the Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County Police Department, Westchester County Real Time Crime Center, and the New York City Police Department.