47°
Benaiah Hyatte, 22, was arrested after walking out of the Seipsville Inn, an AirBnb in Palmer Township, where he took the victim after kidnapping her, Palmer police said.
Records show Hyatte had been on probation in a first-time offenders program for a Berks County forgery case.
The Corliss Street resident was arraigned on a dozen criminal charges including kidnapping, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault. He was being held in the Northampton County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail.
Hyatte's alleged victim told police they were together for nearly two years before they broke up earlier this month.
He called her to set up a time to talk on her lunch break Thursday in Easton, when Hyatte drove them to his Phillipsburg apartment, authorities said.
The two were in his car talking when Hyatte got angry and punched the woman in her face twice, before taking the woman's phone and driving around -- saying he'd have to kill because he would go back to prison if she called police, NJ.com reports citing court papers.
Hyatte repeatedly hit the woman as he drove into Pennsylvania.
Hyatte took the victim’s phone and started driving around, telling the woman he would have to kill her because he would go back to prison if she called police, court papers say.
The woman asked Hyatte to take her back and promised she wouldn't tell anyone, but he refused to give her back her phone, authorities said.
When they stopped to get gas, the woman said she needed to use the bathroom -- but Hyatte refused to let her to alone, and followed her into the store bathroom, reports say.
Hyatte gave the woman her phone and instructed her to find an AirBnb while he pumped gas, police said. When she tried to text a coworker, Hyatte was watching and took her phone back, authorities said.
The pair eventually checked into a room at the Seipsville Inn where Hyatte continued threatening the woman, later choking her, and saying "You scream one more time and I will f*****g kill you. I will silence you forever," NJ.com said citing court papers.
About an hour after checking in, the woman told Hyatte she loved him and that they could get back together, reports say.
When Hyatte left the room to get food, the victim grabbed her phone and hid in a bathroom on the first floor of the Inn to call police.
The Inn's owner told police that the woman had come downstairs and asked him to hide her and call police.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes and receive free news updates.
