Jury acquits South Strabane man of attempted kidnapping
A South Strabane man accused of attempting to kidnap and assault a woman in a grocery store parking lot last year was found not guilty on two felony counts Thursday, although the Washington County jury was deadlocked on other charges associated with the case.
Jose Carmen Zaragoza, 50, was on trial this week at the Washington County Courthouse for the May 6, 2024, incident in which South Strabane police said he tried to kidnap and choke his ex-girlfriend outside Giant Eagle in the Strabane Square shopping center.
The woman told officers that Zaragoza came to the parking lot with a roll of duct tape and tried to pull her from her car before choking her. However, Zaragoza’s defense attorney, Adam Yarussi, said the situation was a “set up” and that the woman recorded the nearly 12-minute interaction on her cellphone unbeknownst to Zaragoza.
“The alleged victim tried to set him up by texting him, saying, ‘Meet me at Giant Eagle.’ He arrived, and she recorded him for 11 minutes and 52 seconds,” Yarussi said in a written statement. “She testified the reason for recording was for custody purposes.”
The couple had a custody hearing the following day, Yarussi said, which he thought raised questions about the timing of the incident. He added that there was no medical evidence to show Zaragoza choked the woman.
After the incident, police said witnesses tried to intervene and Zaragoza left in his pickup truck, although someone was able to take a photograph of his vehicle. Police said they saw scratches and swelling on the woman’s arm and neck following the incident. But Yarussi said there were no photographs or medical records documenting strangulation injuries, and the woman refused medical treatment at the scene.
The jury found Zaragoza not guilty on felony charges of attempted kidnapping and strangulation, but was unable to reach a verdict on an additional felony count of strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of simple assault.
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh said they would review the situation to determine whether they should prosecute Zaragoza again on the deadlocked charges.
“We’re going to consider everything and consider what the victim wants,” Walsh said. “It’s early now, but that’s a big consideration and we’ll make that consideration.”
The trial before Judge Traci McDonald began Tuesday.