Accused South End Carjacker Held On $50,000 Bail
BOSTON (CBS) - A man suspected of carjacking a woman in the South End was ordered held on $50,000 bail Friday.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports
Joel Cartagena, 36, of Woburn, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Boston Municipal Court to kidnapping and carjacking charges.
Prosecutor Eric Anderson said Cartagena grabbed the woman by the back of her hair on Waltham Street Thursday afternoon and shoved her into the passenger seat of her car.
Cartagena took her on a wild ride for about a block and then crashed.
He ran off and she ran into a restaurant for help.
A witness told nearby utility workers, who alerted a Boston police officer who was working on a detail in the area.
Cartagena was captured and arrested moments later.
Investigators say he had two credit cards with him that were reported stolen earlier in the day.
The victim, a 29-year-old medical student, was taken to the hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.
Cartagena's attorney Joseph Griffin asked for $10,000 bail, but prosecutors argued for $50,000 because Cartagena has a criminal record, including two years in jail for assault.
There was also a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to show up in court in an unrelated assault case.
Cartagena is due back in court Feb. 11