By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Passaic County announced that based upon an investigation by the Paterson Police Department, Diquan A. West, 28 years old from Paterson, was arrested in connection to two kidnapping and armed robbery incidents that took place on April 20, 2024, and April 23, 2024, respectively, in Paterson.
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said Diquan A. West is charged with two counts of Kidnapping, first-degree including:
-Two counts of Armed Robbery, First Degree
-Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, First Degree
-Two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Second Degree
-Two counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Second Degree
-Two counts of Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons, Second Degree
-Three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, Third Degree
-One count of Attempted Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, Third Degree
Officials stated that on April 20, a 27-year-old female reported that at approximately 6:00 a.m., she was accosted at gunpoint by an unknown male in the area of Market Street and East 22nd Street.
The man forced her to go with him to a more remote location near train tracks, where he took her personal belongings, touched her intimate body parts, and subsequently fled, officials said.
Authorities say on April 23, a 28-year-old female reported that at approximately 5:10 a.m., an armed male suspect accosted her at gunpoint and took her belongings.
He then forced her to another location where he attempted to touch her intimate parts before fleeing the area, officials say.
Based on the investigation, officials said, police identified Diquan A. West as the assailant in both incidents.
Accoridng to officials, on April 29, members of the Paterson Police Department arrested Diquan West at the Paterson Police Department Headquarters without incident.
Officials said the sentencing exposure for Diquan A. West on each count of First Degree Kidnapping is 15 to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison with 85% of the term to be served before parole eligibility pursuant to the No Early Release Act (“NERA”) and five years parole supervision.
Officials say on each count of First Degree Armed Robbery, it is 10 to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison with 85% of the term to be served before parole eligibility pursuant to NERA and five years parole supervision, on First Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon it is ten years in New Jersey State Prison with a minimum of 5 years before parole eligibility pursuant to the Graves Act, and on each count of Second Degree Unlawful Possession of a Handgun it is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with a minimum of 42 months before parole eligibility pursuant to the Graves Act.
On each count of Second Degree Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose, it is 5-10 years in New Jersey State Prison with 42 months of parole ineligibility pursuant to the Graves Act, on each count of Second Degree Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons, it is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with five years of parole ineligibility, on each count of Third Degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, it is 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison, and on each count of Attempted Third Degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, it is 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison, officials stated. 
Authorities say the State has filed a motion for the pretrial detention of Diquan A. West, which will be heard on May 8, 2024, by the Honorable Justine A. Niccollai, J.S.C.