Bar Brawl to Brutal Kidnapping: Barahona Admits All

NEWARK, N.J. – A Christmas night of booze and bad decisions spiraled into a brutal crime spree, culminating in the near-fatal assault of a New Jersey taxi driver. Wilbur Jonathon Barahona, 21, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, today confessed to his role in the December 2015 robbery of a North Jersey bar, followed by the carjacking and violent kidnapping that unfolded in the early hours of December 26th.

Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced Barahona pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to a three-count information, admitting to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping. The facts, laid bare in court documents, paint a picture of escalating violence and callous disregard for human life.

According to the government’s case, Barahona and his crew hit a Hawthorne, New Jersey bar on December 25, 2016, making off with a paltry $200 in cash. But the robbery was just the opening act. Hours later, in Paterson, New Jersey, Barahona and his associates flagged down a taxi. It didn’t end with a fare. They forcibly seized the vehicle, shoving the driver into the back seat and taking control.

The situation quickly turned horrific. During the carjacking, other members of the conspiracy unleashed a savage attack on the driver, repeatedly hitting him in the head with a beer bottle and slashing his throat with a knife. Miraculously, the driver survived, but was left bleeding and abandoned on the side of a road in New York. Barahona admitted to being present during the attack and complicit in the kidnapping.

Barahona isn’t the only one facing justice. Balmore Carrillo-Iraheta, 19, of Suffern, New York, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery on May 15, 2017. In fact, all six men originally charged in connection with this case have now admitted their guilt and are awaiting sentencing. The feds have been building this case for years.

The penalties loom large for Barahona. The kidnapping charge carries a potential life sentence. Carjacking could land him 25 years behind bars, and the conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 20 years. Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2017. The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Ridgewood Police Department, and Hawthorne Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou and Karen D. Stringer are prosecuting the case. Barahona was represented by Carol Gillen Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender.

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