Man in Belmar Kidnapped, 3 Threatened To Cut Off His Pinky: Cops

PENNSAUKEN TOWNSHIP, NJ — A quick-thinking victim and a fast-acting bank teller helped police capture three people who kidnapped a man at gunpoint, threatened to cut off his pinky finger with medical shears, and forced him to withdraw money from three banks, authorities announced.

The suspects kidnapped a man in Belmar on Monday and drove him to three banks to withdraw money, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, Pennsauken Police Chief John Nettleton and Belmar Police Chief Tina Scott.

When they reached the third bank, the TD Bank in Pennsauken, the victim passed a note to the teller saying the man behind him had a handgun, according to authorities.

Bank employees then alerted police, who responded to the scene and found 42-year-old Vaughn Caul, of Pine Hill, standing directly behind the victim carrying a concealed Beretta 1935 9 mm handgun, according to authorities. Police arrested Caul.

At the time fo the arrest, the victim told police he had been kidnapped earlier in the day, according to authorities.

Across the street, patrol units found 53-year-old Dwayne Graham, of Philadelphia, and 25-year-old Jessica O’Donnell, of Woodbury waiting in a car, police said.

The victim told police the three suspects had forced him into their Ford Escape at gunpoint earlier in the day, according to an affidavit of probable cause provided by the Camden County Prosecutor.

They hit him with wooden batons and threatened to cut off his pinky finger with medical shears if he didn’t cooperate, according to authorities. He attempted to run, but they caught up to him and tackled him in brush, authorities said.

Caul, Graham and O’Donnell were taken to the Camden County Correctional Facility, where they await a pre-trial detention hearing, authorities said.

They were all charged with one count each of first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of third-degree receiving stolen property, one count of third-degree criminal coercion and one count of third-degree criminal restraint.

Additional charges may be filed, pending further investigation, authorities said.