RI Man Accused of Kidnapping 75-Year-Old Woman Outside Pembroke Restaurant

PLYMOUTH (WBSM) — A Rhode Island man is accused of kidnapping and victimizing a 75-year-old woman in Pembroke earlier this month.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said that Michael J. Guerrero, 36, was arraigned today on charges of carjacking, kidnapping, indecent assault and battery on a person over 60, assault and battery on a person over 60, assault with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60, and threatening to commit a crime.

Guerrero entered a not guilty plea and was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing set for October 6.

Get our free mobile app

How the Kidnapping Began at a Pembroke Restaurant

On September 15, the 75-year-old victim reported to Pembroke Police that she had been victimized the night before by an unknown assailant. She said she had gone to the 99 Restaurant that night for dinner and left her wallet and cell phone behind in the restaurant. She returned at about 9:15 p.m. and was approached by a man claiming to work at the restaurant as a valet. The front door of the restaurant was locked, and he offered to drive to the back of the restaurant, which he claimed was unlocked.

The man then allegedly got in the driver’s seat of the woman’s vehicle and drove away from the restaurant and toward the highway with her in the vehicle. He allegedly told her he wanted her to perform lewd acts, and that he had a gun.

Victim’s Escape and Police Investigation

He drove to what the victim believed to be either Providence or Johnston, Rhode Island, and when he stopped at a four-way intersection, she attempted to escape the vehicle. The suspect then allegedly turned off the engine, got out of the car, and threw the keys away from the woman before fleeing the scene. The woman was able to get herself back to Massachusetts and report the incident to Pembroke Police.

Surveillance Footage Helps Identify Suspect

The police then posted surveillance images of the suspect to social media, asking for the public’s help in identifying him.

“Employees at numerous restaurants in and around Pembroke came forward with information stating a male individual resembling the suspect had visited their establishments prior to the kidnapping,” the D.A.’s Office said.

Witness interviews and surveillance footage revealed the suspect, later identified as Guerrero, had used a rideshare app to get to and from various locations the night of the incident, visiting several bars and restaurants in Pembroke.

Arrest and Extradition of Michael Guerrero

Guerrero was arrested in Providence on September 24 and signed a waiver to be extradited back to Massachusetts the following day, the D.A.’s Office said.