NATIONAL BRIEFING / NEW JERSEY
A 19-year-old woman who thought she was going to a party was driven to a rural area and abandoned in 8-degree weather by three friends angry over an insurance claim, North Bergen police said.
The victim was wearing only a dress and one shoe, having lost the other in a struggle as she was dragged from the car, Lt. Frank Cannella said.
She spent more than an hour in the cold before flagging down a motorist who took her to a hospital, he said.
The woman, whom police did not identify, may need surgery after suffering frostbite to both feet, Cannella said.
Maria Contreras-Luciano, 22; Amber Crespo, 20; and Dyanne Velasquez, 21, face kidnapping, assault and conspiracy charges and are free on $200,000 bail. Crespo is also charged with making terroristic threats.
They wanted revenge because the victim sued Crespo’s auto insurance carrier after a car accident, Cannella said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
