What to know
Matylewich showed no emotion in the courtroom as defense attorney Jillian Elko explained that the victim had asked for help to escape what she said was an abusive home. “The alleged victim never reports being afraid. They provided her with the phone. cell phone to my client all the time. When he was hungry, my client bought his food at Dunkin’ Donuts,” Elko said. The prosecution noted that an 11-year-old girl is too young to consent to leaving her family with a man 27 years old. Petrella questioned whether Matylewich really believed she was helping her, why she hadn’t taken her to the police or told them she had it when she called him that morning.
NEW JERSEY — The man accused of kidnapping an 11-year-old New Jersey girl with whom he played online video games thought he was saving her from an “unhealthy and unstable” home life, according to his attorney.
With his arms and legs handcuffed, Darius Matylewich appeared in court Friday accused of kidnapping the girl on Sept. 10 and taking her from Wayne to his home in Bear, Delaware. The judge ordered the 27-year-old to remain in custody ahead of his trial.
Matylewich showed no emotion in the courtroom as defense attorney Jillian Elko explained that the victim had asked for help to escape what she said was an abusive home.
“The alleged victim never reports being afraid. They provided my client’s cell phone at all times. When he was hungry, my client bought his food at Dunkin’ Donuts,” Elko said.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office said Matylewich’s behavior was “escalating.” She met the girl virtually while she was playing the video game “Dead By Daylight,” in which one player takes on the role of a killer and others play survivors. Matylewich apparently let her character live during one of those games, which initiated her communication.
The two continued to chat on multiple social media channels and online gaming platforms, including Roblox, which allows players to create and play games created by other users. A Roblox spokesperson previously said that the suspect and the victim did not initially meet or interact on the platform, but rather began talking on another site or platform and continued talking while playing Roblox.
Eventually, Matylewich visited the victim and they went for a walk near her home in Paterson, according to Passaic County Assistant Prosecutor Jessica Petrella. She added that Matylewich then drove the girl 135 miles to her home in Delaware, after picking her up near the intersection of Route 46 and Old Turnpike Road.
“A 27-year-old man, an adult male, picked up an 11-year-old girl and transported her across state lines,” Petrella said.
Matylewich’s defense lawyer said he was trying to help the girl, who he believed was 13 years old. Apparently, the girl told him that she was going to run away. At 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, he picked her up, along with her cat, at the Wayne Hotel where her family lived.
“My client said it was a bad idea, that you shouldn’t run away, and she begged him to come pick her up to get her out of an unhealthy and unstable living situation,” Elko said. “He asked her repeatedly if she wanted to come back, if her mother would be worried.”
Prosecutors said an 11-year-old girl is too young to give consent to leave her family with a 27-year-old man. Petrella questioned if Matylewich really believed he was helping her, why he hadn’t taken her to the police or told them he had her when they called him that morning.
“The defendant did not say that he knew her whereabouts, he said that he knew her and that he had not seen her in some time, that he did not know where she was,” Petrella said. “It was absolutely an attempt to hide her whereabouts.”
The defense attorney cited a police report that said the girl was found unharmed within four hours of leaving her family and that she did not suffer physical or sexual abuse.
Matylewich was arrested the same day the girl was reported missing. He was extradited to New Jersey, where he was charged with first-degree kidnapping and third-degree child endangerment. If he is convicted on the kidnapping charge alone, Matylewich faces 10 to 30 years in prison.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident or other incidents involving Matylewich is asked to contact the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office through their tip line at 1-877-370-PCPO.
2023-10-21 01:52:52
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