đ¨ Georgia man accused of kidnapping and shooting 18-year-old ex before dumping her in Morris County đ Victim was left paralyzed after being shot in the abdomen âď¸ Suspect faces life in prison on kidnapping and federal weapons charges
NEWARK â A Georgia man has been charged with kidnapping his 18-year-old ex-girlfriend on Christmas Eve, shooting her in his car, then taking her to New Jersey without her consent, dumping her on the side of a road.
Christmas Eve road trip turns violent in shocking interstate kidnapping
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in federal court in Newark, on Dec. 24, 2025, Jovan Young, 37, and his ex were traveling from Georgia to New York to celebrate Christmas with the womanâs family in Rockaway, Queens, when they got into a fight in the car.
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The woman climbed into the backseat to physically distance herself from Young.
Thatâs when Young pulled out a gun, turned around and shot the woman in her abdomen, paralyzing her, federal prosecutors said.
Victim shot, held captive, then abandoned on Morris County roadside
Young then took the victim from New York to New Jersey without her consent and trapped her in his car for several hours after the shooting before leaving her for dead on the side of the road in and around Denville.
Around the same time, the Denville Police Department received a 911 call from Young pretending to be âEric Johnson,â reporting an injured female lying on the side of the road, the complaint read…