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Totowa Police Chief Pleads Not Guilty in Boston Kidnapping, Assault Case

Prosecutors describe a violent encounter at a Back Bay hotel that the defense rejects.

Overview

  • Carmen Veneziano, 47, was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to one count of kidnapping and three counts of domestic assault and battery tied to a September hotel incident.
  • A judge set $25,000 cash bail and ordered GPS monitoring, no contact with the woman or witnesses, and a stay-away from her hometown.
  • Prosecutors say the pair returned from a Red Sox game before Veneziano allegedly headbutted, dragged, restrained the woman, applied painful pressure points, and threw water on her.
  • Hotel staff alerted police after hearing the woman say she was hurt, and she later provided additional details to Boston police that led to the grand jury indictment.
  • Totowa Mayor John Coiro suspended Veneziano without pay and said he will appoint an interim chief, with a pretrial conference scheduled for Feb. 10.