Ridge man arrested after girlfriend seen with note reading 'CALL 911,' police say

A Ridge man held his girlfriend and her three male children, including twins diagnosed on the autism spectrum, in his car against their will with threats of violence, Nassau County police said.

Third Squad detectives responded shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to a Mobil gas station on Glen Cove Road in Roslyn Heights, where a witness reported seeing a woman in the front passenger seat of a black 2005 Ford Taurus holding a sign reading: “Please call 911, CALL 911.”

William Jamal Wilkinson, 35, of Raynor Road, forced the woman, whom he had been dating, and her three children — a 13-year-old and 3-year-old twins — into his vehicle and refused to let them out, police said.

"He refused to let his girlfriend exit the vehicle by restraining her and her three children by threats of violence," according to the criminal complaint.

Police did not identify the victims. Wilkinson was arrested without incident.

Authorities also found Wilkinson in possession of nearly 4 ounces of marijuana, records show.

Wilkinson was arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead and charged with four counts of first-degree unlawful imprisonment, two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of marijuana.

Nassau District Court Judge Paul Meli held Wilkinson on $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash and ordered him to stay away from the victim and her children.

Wilkinson was represented at arraignment by Legal Aid Society, which declined to comment. He is due back in court on May 31.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.