(Story: Cheektowaga Police Dept.)
(Video: ErieCoBlotter)
Cheektowaga Police arrested an 18 year old male today for two separate car-jacking and kidnapping incidents.
On Tuesday morning September 13tha woman reported being abducted at knifepoint in the Town Parkparking lot closest to the library at Harlem Road and GreenleafLane.
Cheektowaga Police were called by Buffalo Police and advised that a woman had reported being kidnapped in Town Park and driven to the city.
Cheektowaga Police responded to the area of Broadway and Wick St to take the report.
The 38 year old victim there reported that she was babysitting a friend’s 2 year old child and at about 11am as she was about to drive away and leave the park for the day, she was approached by a male she had seen in the park earlier.
The male reportedlyopened her car door and while wielding a knife, ordered the woman to the passenger seat and drove away with the woman and child in the car.
The car and its passengers were driven by the suspect to Wick St in Buffalo where the male allowed the woman and child to gather their belongings and before the male pulled away, he gave the woman $5 for the bus.
Detectives began investigating immediately.
Less than 24 hours later at around 9:30am Wednesday, Cheektowaga Officers responded to a call of another possible carjacking in progress.
This time in the parking lot of theAlexander Community Center at the west end of Town Park. Upon police arrival, another female victim reported a male matching the same description from the day before had enteredthe driver seat of the running car she was seated in.
The 29 year old victim reported she was ordered at knifepoint to stay in the car but that she pulled the keys from the ignition, jumped out of the car and ran toward the building.
The male suspect exited the car and ran southbound up Alexander Ave.
A bystander had witnessed the incident and phoned police as it was happening.
Numerous Cheektowaga Police Officers converged in the area and Patrol Sergeant David Vogel spotted the described suspect.
The suspect ran but Sergeant Vogel was able to apprehend him in a yard off Walden Ave. With assistance from other officers,the male was taken into custody.
Josue Lubala, 18, reportedly of no permanent address was arrested and charged with both Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s crimes.
Lubala was booked oncharges of Robbery 1st, Attempted Robbery 1st, Kidnapping 2nd, two counts of Menacing 2nd and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon.
Lubala had previously been arrested in June of this year for a similar armed carjacking in Cheektowaga.
Lubala will be held for arraignment.
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