A Rhode Island man was arraigned Monday on charges stemming from an incident where he is accused of posing as valet and kidnapping a 75-year-old woman outside a restaurant in Pembroke, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced.
Michael J. Guerrero, 36, of Rhode Island, appeared in court Monday, and pleaded not guilty to a number of charges including Carjacking, Kidnapping, Indecent Assault & Battery on a 60+ or Disabled Person, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Threat to Commit Crime.
On September 15, The District Attorney’s office said a 75-year-old woman reported a violent incident from the night before where she had been assaulted by an unknown person. The woman told police she went to the Ninety-Nine Restaurant on Church Street that night for dinner and left without her wallet and cell phone. The woman returned to the restaurant around 9:15 p.m. and was approached by a man claiming to work at the restaurant as a valet driver.
The front door was locked at the time, and The District Attorney’s office said the man offered to drive the woman to the back entrance, which he said was unlocked. The man then entered the driver’s seat of the woman’s car and began to drive away toward the highway. The suspect then told the woman he wanted her to perform lewd acts and stated he had a gun if she did not comply.
Eventually, at an intersection in what the victim believed to be Providence or Johnston, Rhode Island, the woman attempted to escape the vehicle. The suspect exited the car and threw the keys away from the victim before fleeing the scene. The victim was able to return to Massachusetts and reported the incident to Pembroke Police, according to the District Attorney.
Pembroke Police were able to identify the suspect as Guerrero through surveillance video and the help of employees from several restaurants in and around Pembroke.
Investigators determined Guerrero used a rideshare app to get transportation to and from various locations the night of the incident.
Guerrero is being held without bail. He is expected to be back in court on October 6 for a dangerousness hearing.
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