Sergio Sarceno Cano allegedly bound his niece’s wrists, legs and mouth with duct tape and stole $400 from her, before transporting her around at gun point.
Exterior view of the new Mercer County Criminal Courthouse in Trenton on South Warren St, in Trenton, New Jersey. HAMILTON — A township man was sentenced to time served today, amounting to 894 days in jail, and may face deportation in the kidnapping of his 17-year-old niece in 2011, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Sergio Sarceno Cano allegedly bound his niece’s wrists, legs and mouth with duct tape and stole $400 from her, before transporting her around at gun point, according to Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor’s Office. His niece, who had been living with him at the time of the incident, did not appear in court for the sentencing.
The girl left a note asking for help in the bathroom of a Nottingham Way Burger King, prosecutors said in a 2011 hearing. She was rescued after an employee saw it and called police. This also led to Cano’s arrest.
In a plea deal, Cano pleaded guilty on March 28 to third-degree weapons possession and terroristic threats, and will now deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The federal agency placed a detainer on him because of his status as an undocumented immigrant. He may face deportation to Guatemala.
“The plea was a compromise, it was in the best interest of all parties,” said Robin Lord, Cano’s attorney.
Court documents report two different dates of birth for Sarceno Cano, one placing his age at 33 and the other at 34.
Contact Brendan McGrath at bmcgrath@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5731.
CONNECT WITH US:
On mobile or desktop:
• Like Times of Trenton on Facebook
• Follow @TimesofTrenton on Twitter