Man who kidnapped Bernardsville woman sentenced to 20 years
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 03/30/07
GANNETT NEW JERSEY


Edgar Rene del Cid Perez was sentenced today to 20 years in New Jersey state prison for the November 2005 kidnapping of Karen Maffucci from her Bernardsville home.

Both Karen and her husband David Maffucci gave emotional statements to Judge Edward M. Coleman before del Cid Perez was sentenced.

Del Cid Perez plead guilty to the kidnapping and several related charges last month in exchange for up to 20 years in prison. Coleman choose to give del Cid Perez the maximum sentence which he said was “quite appropriate considering the damage you (del Cid Perez) have done”.

Del Cid Perez must serve 17 years before he is eligible for parole

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ARTICLE FROM A PAPER THAT TELLS ALL THE FACTS

Bernardsville kidnapper guilty
Illegal alien, who captured wife of ex-boss, makes deal

BY CHAD HEMENWAY
GANNETT NEW JERSEY
Saturday, February 17, 2007

SOMERVILLE -- Edgar Rene del Cid-Perez, indicted on charges that he kidnapped a Bernardsville woman more than a year ago and held her for ransom, pleaded guilty on Friday and took a deal that could land him in state prison for up to 20 years.

Del Cid-Perez, 34, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was indicted a year ago on first-degree kidnapping and weapons-related charges. Authorities say he entered an open garage and kidnapped Karen Maffucci in November 2005 from her Bernardsville home and left her bound and gagged with duct tape in a horse barn while he tried to get $1 million in ransom from Maffucci's husband -- del Cid-Perez's former employer.

Dressed in a mustard-colored Somerset County Jail jumpsuit, del Cid-Perez, answered numerous questions on Friday from Superior Court Judge Edward M. Coleman to establish the facts in the case.

Del Cid-Perez answered most questions in the affirmative, but that changed when Christopher Kazlau, del Cid-Perez's public defender, took over the questioning.

Kazlau attempted to establish that the reason del Cid-Perez entered the home was to kidnap Maffucci in exchange for wages owed -- a "disagreement over wages," Kazlau said.

Somerset County First Assistant Prosecutor A. Peter DeMarco Jr. jumped up and strongly objected to the line of questioning.

"If this continues, I'm going to withdraw the offer," DeMarco said.

The attorneys met with Coleman in a sidebar for several minutes. When they were through, Coleman took over the questioning of del Cid-Perez again.

"Was the purpose to hold her (Maffucci) so that you could get money from her husband?" Coleman asked del Cid-Perez.

"So that he could give me my money," del Cid-Perez responded through an interpreter.

Authorities have said del Cid-Perez told Maffucci during the kidnapping that he was holding her for $200,000. When he called Maffucci's husband, he demanded $1 million, authorities have said.

Kazlau said his client was owed about $3,000 in wages, but that still was no reason to kidnap Maffucci. Kazlau said a misunderstanding about the amount could have occurred because "mil" means a thousand in Spanish.

Kazlau said his client understood the guilty plea. Del Cid-Perez had previously attempted to avoid trial by claiming he was mentally incompetent. During a hearing last month, del Cid-Perez said he had no knowledge of why he was arrested, where he was, or what a judge does.

Coleman ruled that del Cid-Perez was a malingerer and on Friday del Cid-Perez had no problem answering detailed questions about the case.

David Maffucci said on Friday that he owed del Cid-Perez nothing and was not surprised that del Cid-Perez continued to lie.

"He got paid," David Maffucci said. "It's no surprise he's still lying because he constantly has since this began."

Karen Maffucci said she is happy that del Cid-Perez finally will be facing consequences for his actions. Del Cid-Perez must serve 17 years in prison without parole under the No Early Release Act, Coleman said.

"It's 17 years, but our family will live with it longer," Maffucci said. "I still can't leave the garage door open when I'm unloading bags."

Del Cid-Perez will be deported when he completes his prison sentence, Coleman said. He will be sentenced within two months, Coleman said. http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 203/NEWS01