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The only woman in the house answered a knock at the door of the Gamewell Street home just before midnight last night and the masked men pushed their way in, guns drawn, Hackensack Detective Capt. Thomas Salcedo told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
She and four men were herded immediately. Two other men were asleep and were grabbed when they came downstairs to see what the commotion was, Salcedo said. All were zip-tied and forced into a bedroom, he said. Two were pistol-whipped.
With a single gunmen watching the victims, two other crew members searched the house. They also rifled through the victims’ pockets, taking $250 in cash and four iPhones, Salcedo said.
They may or may not have found what they were looking for, but neither the accused robbers or the victims — all 18 to 20 years old — would say.
No sooner did the masked invaders bolt than two of the victims instandly freed themselves. One dashed next door to a neighbor’s house to call police, giving a description of the car, Salcedo said. The other literally chased the vehicle down the block toward police headquarters.
Sgt. James Smith heard the call.
“He turned the corner and, sure enough, there’s the car,” Salcedo told CLIFFVIEW PILOT.
Smith radioed for backup, and a squadron officers was there instantly.
The three arrested: Jonathan Cardenas, 25, of Garfield, and Osmar Rosario of Passaic Street and Analdo Hernandez of State Street, both 29, of Hackensack.
Rosario and Hernandez were both busted on drug charges in 2005. While Rosario got probation, Hernandez spent a year in prison.
All three are being held on $300,000 each, pending transfer to the Bergen County Jail.
Charges include several counts of kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary and weapons possession counts.
No serious injuries were reported.
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