Luis Figueroa, Man Accused In Three-State Violent Crime Spree, Appears In Court
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Luis Figueroa, the man accused of carrying out a three-state crime spree that ended in a crash near the George Washington Bridge, was in court Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Figueroa, 33, kidnapped a former girlfriend in Pennsylvania, raped her at a rest stop in New Jersey, set fire to a car dealership in Paterson then led police on a high-speed chase across the GWB.
Prosecutors rattled off kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse and weapons possession from the list of charges from his June 6 rampage, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported. They told the judge it was one of the more serious violent crime sprees the district has seen.
Figueroa first allegedly kidnapped an eight month pregnant woman at gunpoint from her Hazleton, Penn., home at 8:30 a.m., sources told CBS 2
The woman managed to escape from Figueroa and flagged down a passing school bus, sources said.
Two girls who were in the house managed to escape unharmed.
Figueroa then allegedly abducted another woman and fled on Interstate 80 into New Jersey, sources said. That woman managed to escape while they were in the Poconos.
Figueroa then allegedly tried to trade in his stolen truck for a Cadillac Escalade at a dealership in Paterson, N.J., sources said.
When that didn't work, he allegedly came back with a gas can, and assaulted a worker at the dealership before setting the dealership on fire, sources said. He then allegedly stole the Escalade and took off, sources said.
As Smith reported, Figueroa hobbled on a cane after he allegedly caught himself on fire at the car dealership.
The defense says it is collecting psychiatric and medical records before applying for bail.
Some of the charges could carry life sentences, Smith reported.
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