Authorities Charge New Jersey Police Chief With Assault, Kidnapping At Hotel

A New Jersey police chief faces kidnapping and domestic assault charges after prosecutors alleged he attacked a woman during a September trip to Boston, Massachusetts.

Carmen Veneziano, 47, pleaded not guilty Monday in Suffolk Superior Court to one count of kidnapping and three counts of domestic assault and battery, the Boston Herald reported. Bail was set at $25,000 and Veneziano was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and stay away from the woman he allegedly attacked, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO) told the Daily Caller.

Veneziano had been serving as police chief in Totowa, New Jersey. He has held the position since 2020, according to CBS News.

Assistant District Attorney Ian Polumbaum said Veneziano and the victim traveled to Boston to attend a Red Sox game, then returned to their hotel and got into an argument. Veneziano allegedly left the room but came back around 3 a.m. demanding to be allowed back inside, the Boston Herald reported. (RELATED: Accused NYC Crypto Bros Allegedly Held Another Tourist Hostage At Drug-Fueled Kentucky Party: Report)

Totowa, New Jersey’s police chief allegedly attacked his girlfriend at a hotel in Boston during a trip for a Yankees-Red Sox game, prosecutors say. @csloantv reports. https://t.co/YR9aCtIcyC

— CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) December 22, 2025

Hotel security responded and the woman let him back inside, after which the assault started, authorities alleged.

“He became not just verbally insulting again, but physically abusive, by head butting her, by dragging her by her legs, by holding her down on the bed, preventing her from leaving the room or even leaving the bed,” Polumbaum alleged.

The woman called the front desk and staff allegedly contacted police after hearing her say “you hurt me.” She did not disclose physical abuse to responding officers but contacted Boston Police days later to report what happened, authorities said.

Venezianos’s lawyer, Paolo Corso, called his client a “role model and a community leader.”

“Mr. Veneziano maintains his innocence and he looks forward to addressing these allegations in court,” the attorney said, according to CBS News.

Totowa Mayor John Coiro suspended Veneziano without pay following his arrest, according to a Facebook post. Court records showed Veneziano faced DUI and reckless driving charges in New Jersey earlier this year, CBS News reported.

His trial is expected in October.

Coiro told the Daily Caller the town is set to appoint an acting police chief Dec. 26. He also said the town’s council previously suspended Veneziano for the DUI case following a required administrative delay.