Pair charged in kidnapping

They held a 26-year-old township man against his will for two days, police say.

By: Joseph Harvie
   Township police took a man and a woman into custody late Wednesday afternoon for holding a 26-year-old township man against his will for two days, police said.
   Ricky Joe Rakes, 30, was charged with kidnapping and child endangerment. If convicted, he could be sentenced to between 15 and 30 years on the kidnapping charge and up to 18 months on the child endangerment charge. Erin Hartz, 27, also of South Brunswick, was charged with extortion, child endangerment and conspiracy. If convicted, she faces between three and five years in prison for each of the extortion and conspiracy charges and up to 18 months on the child endangerment charge.
   Detective James Ryan, spokesman for the township Police Department, said Mr. Rakes’ last address was in South Brunswick, but that he most recently had been in state prison. According to the state Department of Corrections’ Web site offender search, Mr. Rakes spent a year in South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton for aggravated assaulted and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was released on Nov. 26.
   The victim’s mother called police at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, shortly after her son escaped from his captors, Detective Ryan said. The victim had been punched in the nose but did not have an major injuries, the detective said.
   The victim told police that he had been held on Tuesday and Wednesday at two hotels, one in South Brunswick and another in East Brunswick, before he broke free of his restraints and escaped, Detective Ryan said.
   The victim’s mother had been contacted by the kidnappers, who demanded $46,000, Detective Ryan said. She was assured by the kidnappers that they would not hurt her son if they got the money, Detective Ryan said.
   Mr. Rakes and Ms. Hartz also had planned to let the mother speak to the victim in a taxi outside of her home on Tuesday, but that never happened, Detective Ryan said.
   On Wednesday morning, the victim contacted his mother telling her that her that he was outside the Chinese Buffet on Route 18 in East Brunswick, near its northern most intersection with Old Bridge Turnpike, Detective Ryan said.
   After the victim’s mother picked him up, she contacted the kidnappers and promised to give them $1,500 if they never harmed her son again, Detective Ryan said.
   She then contacted the police, who began to set up a sting operation. They gave her $1,500 in a brown paper bag and told her to meet the kidnappers at the Wal-Mart on Route 1 in North Brunswick at 3:30 p.m., Detective Ryan said.
   As the victim’s mother handed the money to a woman in the parking lot, a dozen South Brunswick officers rushed the woman, Detective Ryan said. The woman — who police later identified as Ms. Hartz — ran, but was apprehended before she could get into her vehicle, Detective Ryan said.
   The car she ran for then sped off trying to leave the parking lot, but was cornered and stopped by South Brunswick and North Brunswick police near the TGI Fridays in the same parking lot, Detective Ryan said. When they took the driver, Mr. Rakes, into custody they found a 5-year-old boy who belonged to the woman, Detective Ryan said.
   Detective Ryan said the department’s investigation indicates that Mr. Rakes may have kidnapped the victim because he blames him for his recent imprisonment.