Prosecutors: Man charged with attempted kidnapping in Garfield; victim saved by good Samaritan

Prosecutors say Michael Hernandez stalked the victim for a month before attempting to remove her off the sidewalk.

Lanette Espy

May 20, 2024, 4:59 PM

Updated 112 days ago

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A woman was rescued in Garfield by a good Samaritan earlier this month after an attempted kidnapping, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Garfield Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit last week regarding multiple suspicious incidents that occurred during the past month involving an unidentified man following a woman in Garfield.
Prosecutors say the victim reported a man approached her on May 8 and grabbed her neck and backpack in an attempt to remove her from the sidewalk.
According to authorities, an investigation revealed Michael Hernandez, 25, attempted to kidnap the woman. They say a good Samaritan jumped in to help the woman and Hernandez ran off.
Prosecutors say Hernandez stalked the victim beginning in April before ultimately attempting to kidnap her on May 8.
Hernandez was arrested Thursday in Garfield and is being held in Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in a Hackensack court. He’s facing attempted kidnapping and stalking charges.