A New Jersey police chief has been arrested following his indictment on felony kidnapping and domestic assault charges in Boston — and soon, he could be out of a job!
Carmen Veneziano, 47, the police chief for Totowa, allegedly committed crimes in September, while on a trip to Massachusetts. The alleged crime happened inside a Boston hotel during an argument that turned violent.
Veneziano has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and three charges of domestic assault and battery. He has been released on $25,000 bail but due to the violent nature of the allegations, he has been barred from having any contact with the alleged victim. He also has to stay out of her hometown, and he has to wear a GPS ankle monitor.
Veneziano, a law enforcement officer for 25 years, was visiting Boston to see the Red Sox take on the New York Yankees. Boston won 4-6.
“The trip went well until it didn’t,” Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum said in court, according to reports.
After returning to their hotel, the couple started fighting, and Veneziano left the room. He later returned around 3 a.m., demanding to be let back in. When hotel security arrived and the victim decided to let Veneziano back inside, that’s when things got bad.
According to police, Veneziano “became not just verbally insulting” with the woman, “but physically abusive, by head butting her, by dragging her by her legs, by holding her down on the bed, preventing her from leaving the room or even leaving the bed, applying what she described as ‘pressure points’ to her body that were painful, and also throwing water on her.”
“There is absolutely no merit to these charges,” the chief’s attorney, Jared Drill, told NJ.com. “They are allegations by an ex-girlfriend, who was extremely intoxicated and got into a verbal argument with the chief at a hotel.”
Veneziano was arrested on a fugitive warrant on Friday, December 19.
Veneziano’s attorney said the police chief and his ex-flame stayed in a room together and got into an argument on September 14, NJ.com reported.
But when Boston Police arrived at the couple’s hotel room, no arrests were made, Drill said. The couple then drove back home together, according to Veneziano’s attorney.
An indictment against Veneziano was returned in Boston last week, resulting in the arrest warrant. The victim contacted Boston Police a few days after the trip to file a complaint.
Drill said Veneziano does not plan on challenging extradition to Massachusetts.
“He is hopeful he will be released before Christmas so he can be with his family,” Drill said.
Drill said Veneziano is looking forward to his day in court, and that they plan to vigorously defend him against the allegations.
In a statement posted to social media, Totowa’s Mayor John Coiro said he has suspended Veneziano until the legal process plays itself out. “While I did not see the exact charges in writing, the Prosecutor’s Office did relay to me that these charges were serious in nature and considered felonies,” Coiro wrote.
“We will be appointing an Interim Police Chief shortly,” the mayor wrote, adding the suspension is without pay. “Please know that the Totowa Police Department will continue to operate effectively in providing services to our community.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
