New Jersey police chief charged with kidnapping, assault in Massachusetts, prosecutors say
The police chief of Totowa, New Jersey, is facing kidnapping and domestic violence charges in Massachusetts following an incident at a hotel, according to prosecutors.
Carmen Veneziano, 47, was indicted for allegedly confining and attacking a woman in a hotel room in Boston's Back Bay on Sept. 14, the Suffolk District Attorney's Office said Sunday.
Veneziano was arrested Friday in Passaic County, New Jersey.
He waived extradition proceedings and was scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Boston, officials said.
Totowa Mayor John Coiro said the chief was being held over the weekend at the Bergen County jail after the extradition hearing.
"While I did not see the exact charges in writing, the [Passaic County] Prosecutor's Office did relay to me that these charges were serious in nature and considered felonies," Coiro said in a statement.
The mayor said he suspended Veneziano without pay until the legal process plays out.
"Please know that the Totowa Police Department will continue to operate effectively in providing services to our community," he said.
An interim police chief will be appointed, the mayor said.
Officials said the New Jersey Attorney General's Office assisted with the investigation and arrest of Veneziano.