Man Accused of Yearlong Kidnapping May Have Had Other Victims, Police Say

New Jersey police have asked anyone with information about having interactions with kidnapping suspect James Parrillo to come forward.

James Parrillo Jr., accused of holding a woman hostage for nearly a year, may have preyed on other women, according to police, who are asking for people who've encountered the man to come forward.

He was arrested earlier this month in Burlington County, New Jersey, and is charged with kidnapping a woman he met in New Mexico last year. The woman made a daring escape, police said, by running into a convenience store and bolting the door.

"We do believe that there's people that have had encounters with Mr. Parrillo, whether it's by that name or by another alias," New Jersey State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan said in a news conference Tuesday.

"We're just asking, even if somebody believes that they think that information or that encounter is insignificant, we ask that they come forward and reach out to that tipline in order to give that information to our detectives," he said.

Parrillo, 57, was arrested on Feb. 7 and has been charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault. He is being held without bail at the Burlington County Detention Center, according to online records.

A 2019 article in Backpacker Magazine reported that Parrillo was roaming California hiking trails looking for potential victims.

At least seven women have accused him of kidnapping and rape, according to that article. Two of those women allege that Parrillo held them captive for more than a year.

Parrillo was not charged in those alleged incidents.

The tipline number is 855-363-6548. Callers may remain anonymous. 

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