A Red Bank man was briefly kidnapped, slashed in the face and dumped in Shrewsbury by three unknown assailants who tried to rob him early Saturday morning, borough police are reporting.
The 18-year-old victim, a Locust Avenue resident, was treated and released from Riverview Medical Center.
He told police that the incident began at about 1:30a as he was walking home along Shrewsbury Avenue near West Westside Avenue when he was approached by two African-American men. One of them punched him in the face and demanded money.
Told that he had only a credit card, the assailants forced the victim into a medium-sized, dark-colored SUV parked on West Westside near Shrewsbury Ave. A third accomplice was waiting nearby and drove the vehicle, according to police Capt. Steve McCarthy
McCarthy said the robbers took the victim to a nearby gas station, apparently on the belief that they could use his credit card to obtain cash. When they learned this wasn’t possible, they drove him to a location in Shrewsbury between Broad Street and Sycamore Avenue, where they forced him from he vehicle and fled.
Shortly before he was dumped, the victim was slashed in the face with a knife, McCarthy said.
The victim banged o the door of a Shrewsbury resident, who alerted police. Red Bank police were called to the scene at 1:50a, McCarthy said.
Wanted are three black males in their early-to-mid-20s, two of them said to have muscular builds. One was about five foot ten, with a short beard and wearing a headband. The other two were about six-foot-one or -two, one of them wearing a red and black jacket with the colors divided along a diagonal pattern.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Investigator Errico Vescio of the Red Bank detective division at 732.530.2719. Tips may be left anonymously at 732.450.9704.
