Diquan A. West
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-In-Charge Isa Abbassi announce that based upon an investigation by the Paterson Police Department, Diquan A. West, 28-years-old from Paterson, New Jersey, was arrested in connection to two kidnapping and armed robbery incidents that took place on April 20, 2024, and April 23, 2024, respectively, in Paterson, New Jersey. Diquan A. West is charged with two counts of Kidnapping, First Degree; two counts of Armed Robbery, First Degree; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, First Degree; two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, Second Degree; two counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Second Degree; two counts of Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons, Second Degree; three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, Third Degree; and one count of Attempted Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, Third Degree.
On April 20, 2024, a 27-year-old female reported that at approximately 6:00 a.m., she was accosted at gunpoint by an unknown male in the area of Market Street and East 22nd Street. The man forced her go with him to a more remote location near train tracks where he took her personal belongings, touched her intimate body parts, and subsequently fled.
On April 23, 20024, a 28-year-old female reported that at approximately 5:10 a.m., an armed male suspect accosted her at gunpoint and took her belongings. He then forced her to another location where he attempted to touch her intimate parts before fleeing the area.
Based on the investigation, police identified Diquan A. West as the assailant in both incidents. On April 29, 2024, members of the Paterson Police Department arrested Diquan West at the Paterson Police Department Headquarters without incident.
The sentencing exposure for Diquan A. West on each count of First Degree Kidnapping is 15 to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison with 85% of the term to be served before parole eligibility pursuant to the No Early Release Act (“NERA”) and 5 years parole supervision; on each count of First Degree Armed Robbery it is 10 to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison with 85% of the term to be served before parole eligibility pursuant to NERA and 5 years parole supervision; on First Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon it is 10 years in New Jersey State Prison with a minimum of 5 years before parole eligibility pursuant to the Graves Act; on each count of Second Degree Unlawful Possession of a Handgun it is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with a minimum of 42 months before parole eligibility pursuant to the Graves Act; on each count of Second Degree Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose it is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with 42 months of parole ineligibility pursuant to the Graves Act; on each count of Second Degree Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons it is 5-10 years New Jersey State Prison with 5 years of parole ineligibility; on each count of Third Degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, it is 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison; and on each count of Attempted Third Degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact it is 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison.
The State has filed a motion for the pretrial detention of Diquan A. West, which will be heard on May 8, 2024, by the Honorable Justine A. Niccollai, J.S.C.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information about this incident to contact us on our tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Paterson Police at 973-321-1342.