Four charged in Baldwin kidnapping, armed robbery

A 24-year-old man was forced into a vehicle late Monday night in Baldwin and robbed at knifepoint, Nassau police said.

The man was approached by four people — all known to him — around 11:56 p.m. outside a School Drive home, police said. The suspects made him get into a vehicle and they then drove off. 

In the vehicle, police said the suspects "forcibly took the victim's cell phone and wallet" at knifepoint. 

"The victim fearing for his life complied and gave the subjects his belongings," police said.

The suspects made the man get out of the vehicle near the corner of North Main Street and Randall Avenue in Freeport, then fled, police said.

The man, who sustained minor injuries, walked into the Freeport police station to report the robbery. After a "thorough" investigation, police said they found the four suspects at Guy Lombardo and Southside avenues, and they were arrested.

The four arrested were: Brian Gonzalez Valdez, 25; Waldi Victoriano Perez, 23; and Alexis Collado, 39, all of Freeport; and Edily Durancanela, 26, of West Hempstead.

All four were charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, kidnapping and assault. Valdez was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon.

They were to be arraigned Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead. It was not immediately clear if they were represented by counsel.

Online arraignment information was not available for Perez.

Collado was held on bail of $600,000 bond or $300,000 cash. Durancanela was held on bail of $100,000 bond or $50,000 cash.

Both had temporary orders of protection issued against them, online records show.

Attorney Cary David Kessler represented Gonzalez Valdez, who was held on bail of $600,000 bond or $300,000 cash, and Durancanela. He argued for lower bail because both of families have ties to the community and he said Durancanela had no prior criminal record. 

"I think there's a lot more to the story concerning allegations of misconduct of the alleged victim and I urged the court before set bail," Kessler said.