Kearny NJ police arrested an East Orange man who allegedly stole a truck and drove off with a child in the backseat.

According to law enforcement, the 39-year-old suspect took a 2007 Freightliner truck without receiving permission from the owner. The suspect was reportedly involved in a dispute with the owner of the truck.

The suspect, who lives on Prospect Street in East Orange NJ, later claimed that he was entitled to take the vehicle because he owned 51 percent of the truck.

At the time of the alleged theft, a juvenile female was in the back of the truck. The girl is the daughter of the vehicle owner. She reportedly knows the suspect.

Prosecutors said that the suspect drove “a considerable distance” before he realized that the girl was in the truck.

Afterwards, the suspect reportedly drove back and returned the child to her father.

The suspect was subsequently arrested and charged with the very serious criminal offenses of carjacking and kidnapping.

If the suspect is ultimately convicted on the kidnapping charges, he faces significant criminal penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:13-1, anyone who unlawfully removes another person from a place without their consent can be charged with a first or second degree felony. In this case, the suspect reportedly returned the victim unharmed before he was apprehended, so he could be subject to a sentence of 5-10 years in NJ State Prison.

After being arrested, the suspect was taken to the Hudson County Jail. He was being held at the jail in lieu of a $200,000 bail amount.

To learn more about this case, read NJ.com article entitled “East Orange Man Charged with Carjacking and Kidnapping in Kearny.”