The kidnapper held the woman captive for almost a year and transported her from state to state

A woman who was abducted almost a year ago while traveling across the country made a dramatic escape from her kidnapper by carrying out her plan at a gas station in New Jersey. The edition told in more detail CNN.

James Parrillo Jr., 57, was accused of kidnapping a woman he met in New Mexico in 2022. He traveled with her to New Jersey, and she was also reportedly attacked at a house in Burlington County where they rented a room, according to a statement from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

Gas station owner Bobby Madaan said a woman broke into the building on February 7 and he heard screams and screams from his office. She ran into the store and locked the door behind her.

Madaan said he saw a man running after a woman, but when he couldn't get to a closed gas station, he turned and left.

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“She was shocked—she was crying,” Madaan said. “She told us that she was kidnapped for about a year.”

The woman had marks on her neck and was wearing shorts and a thin shirt and no shoes, Madaan said, adding that the woman told him she began planning her escape after seeing a deadbolt on a gas station door during a previous visit. According to Madaan, the woman planned to escape her kidnapper by running to a gas station and locking herself inside when she had the chance.

Parrillo followed the woman and tried to open the door, but left when he found it locked. According to Madaan, the buyer gave the woman a spare pair of his wife's shoes, and they found a jacket for her while they waited for the police to arrive.

After reassuring the woman that she was safe, Madaan said they called the police. According to the Attorney General, Parrillo was arrested shortly after, on February 7.

According to the statement, Parrillo and the woman lived in a rented room for about two weeks before she managed to escape. According to the attorney general, the woman ran out of the house in nothing but shorts and a shirt when it was only 42 degrees Fahrenheit (+5,5 Celsius) outside.

They met at a gas station in New Mexico

According to authorities, the woman met the suspect, whom she knew as "Brett Parker", at a gas station on a highway in New Mexico sometime in February 2022.

At his request, she agreed to give him a lift to Arizona. The woman said she was in a consensual relationship with a man she knew as Parker for about a month, he physically attacked her while they were both in California, after which she felt unable to end the relationship.

During their life together, Parrillo confiscated the woman's phone, confiscated and used her debit cards, and isolated her from her family, authorities said. The couple arrived in New Jersey sometime in December.

Platkin called it a "deeply disturbing case".

“We are reaching out to law enforcement agencies in various jurisdictions to identify other people who may have additional information about the accused. Our investigation is ongoing and we are committed to doing everything we can to get justice for the victim,” Platkin said.

New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan said, "The strength and courage of a woman who successfully escaped is nothing less than heroism."

According to Platkin, Parrillo is charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree strangulation, and aggravated assault, as well as third-degree criminal prosecution. Parrillo also faces third-degree charges of obstructing arrest and refusing to provide a DNA sample.

The suspect is being held at the Burlington County Jail awaiting trial.