A group of suspects is alleged to have kidnapped a man in Belmar and forced him to withdraw funds at three different banks before they were arrested in Pennsauken Monday.
By Matt Skoufalos | March 5, 2020
Camden County Prosecutor’s Office logo. Credit: CCPO.
In responding to a bank robbery Monday, Pennsauken Police also foiled a kidnapping plot in which a man allegedly was forced at gunpoint to withdraw money at three different banks.
On March 3, Pennsauken Police responded to the TD Bank in the 4900 block of Route 130 for a report of a bank robbery.
According to investigation documents, the victim handed a teller a note asking for help because he was being held there at gunpoint.
When police arrived, they discovered 42-year-old Vaughn Caul of Pine Hill, allegedly armed with a concealed Beretta M1935 9mm pistol for which he did not have a permit. Caul was arrested on the spot.
Shortly thereafter, Pennsauken patrol units also found 25-year-old Jessica O’Donnell of Woodbury and 53-year-old Dwayne Graham of Philadelphia waiting across the street from the bank in a Ford Escape. O’Donnell and Graham were then brought in by police for questioning.
After interviewing the victim, investigators determined that he had been forced into their vehicle in Belmar and coerced into withdrawing $900 from two separate banks.
Police reports indicate that the man allegedly was beaten with wooden batons, threatened at gunpoint, and threatened with having his pinky finger cut off with medical shears if he didn’t comply. He reportedly tried to escape at one point, but was tackled and dragged back into the vehicle.
The man reportedly had visible signs of injuries on his face, neck, and arms. He was transported to the hospital for evaluation.
Caul, O’Donnell, and Graham were all charged with first-degree robbery and kidnapping; second-degree unlawful possession of weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; and third-degree receiving stolen property, criminal coercion, and criminal restraint.
According to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, additional charges may be filed in the case. The investigation is ongoing. All three suspects are being held in the Camden County Jail awaiting a pretrial detention hearing.
Anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. An arrest is not a conviction.
