Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Anthony A. Caputo, director of the New Brunswick Police Department, announced that a city man was arrested today on charges of taking his son from the child’s mother at knifepoint.
William Merino, 26, was charged with kidnapping, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of a child, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose after police safely recovered the nine-month-old boy.
The New Jersey State Police issued an Amber Alert at 10:44 a.m., seeking the public’s assistance in finding the child, and rescinded the call at 12:18 p.m., shortly after police found the defendant sitting with the child on a bench on George Street in New Brunswick.
Merino also was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana.
He remains in custody and is waiting for bail to be set.
The incident began at 9:20 a.m. when police were told that the 9-month-old boy was taken by his father at knifepoint during a dispute with the child’s mother at her New Brunswick home.
The Middlesex County Child Response Abduction Team was activated and members of the New Brunswick Police Department, the Highland Park Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office began an immediate search for the child.
The child was found safe and healthy and has been returned to his mother.
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