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From left, Ernesto Herrera-Lesteiro, 23, and Yonder Diaz-Sanchez, 27
(Mercer County Prosecutor's Office)
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP -- Two Cuban nationals who were pulled over while driving a stolen truck through Hopewell are facing charges in the kidnapping and armed robbery of a truck driver in Maryland, authorities said.
The arrests were made possible because of an automatic license plate reader in an officer's patrol car, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri and Hopewell Township Police Chief Lance Maloney.
The driver, Ernesto Herrera-Lesteiro, 23, and passenger, Yonder Diaz-Sanchez, 27, were on Route 31 south near North Main Street around 2:25 a.m. March 20 when the license plate reader in Officer George Peterson's patrol car indicated the truck was reported stolen in Houston, Texas, on March 13.
Peterson pulled over the Ford F450 truck and took both men into custody.
Credit cards that were found in the vehicle were not in either man's name, but with the help of Detective Louis Vastola, police learned that the cards had been stolen during a robbery in Perryville, Maryland on March 17, authorities said.
The officers and Maryland State Police connected Herrera-Lesteiro and Diaz-Sanchez to the kidnapping and armed robbery of a truck driver during that incident, authorities said.
Maryland State Police charged them both with kidnapping, carjacking, theft and assault with a knife, while Hopewell police charged the pair with receiving stolen property and marijuana possession.
Both men, who are Cuban nationals and list Paterson as their address, are being held without bail in the Mercer County Corrections Center, pending extradition to Maryland.
The prosecutor's office said automatic license plate recognition systems have become increasingly popular with law enforcement in recent years.
Mercer County began using the technology last summer and the prosecutor's office funded mounted camera systems for 25 vehicles throughout local and county police departments.
The devices allow officers on patrol to scan the plates of passing vehicles to determine if the car or driver has been linked to a crime.
The automated capture, analysis and comparison of vehicle license plates typically occurs within seconds, alerting the officer almost instantly to a wanted plate, the prosecutor's office said.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.