2 men accused in North Huntingdon kidnapping

North Huntingdon police arrested two men Monday who they said were involved with the kidnapping of a 17-year-old township resident during the weekend, according to court papers.

Karrar F. Al Hilali, 39, of West Mifflin and James Keith Maskil, 28, of Graysville, Greene County, are charged with kidnapping, conspiracy, burglary, unlawful restraint and criminal trespass.

An arrest warrant for a third man — Cameron D. Bessent, 22, of Warren, Ohio — was issued Monday on the same charges.

Police learned of the incident Saturday after a teen identified in court papers by the initials RM ran out of a wooded area and jumped into the back of a West Mifflin police car, according to court papers. The teen was at home Friday on Barnes Lake Road when several men, one of whom the teen recognized as Maskil, broke in and ordered RM to the basement at gunpoint, pistol whipping the teen, police said.

Maskil asked the teen where “the package” was and the others searched the basement, according to court papers. A man later identified as Al Hilali came in and told the teen to “give us all the money and you have no problems,” police said.

RM denied knowledge of a package or money and was driven away in a Hyundai Elantra.

The group briefly stopped at an Irwin gas station, where authorities obtained surveillance video showing the car there just before 8 p.m. Friday. Police used license plate readers to track the car to McKeesport and Duquesne, where the teen told police Maskil demanded $15,000 and the group repeatedly asked about “the package,” according to court papers. The car was registered to Al Hilali, police said.

Al Hilali was the passenger in that car during a crash at 3 p.m. Saturday in McKeesport. The vehicle was towed to his West Mifflin address, police said. Investigators said they searched the car and the teen identified Al Hilali as one of the suspects.

Al Hilali told authorities that he went to the teen’s home with Maskil, Bessent and one other man to get money and that they took RM with them, according to court papers.

Police said the teen escaped sometime Saturday while riding in a car being driven by Maskil in West Mifflin. It was unclear from court papers what time that happened and if the teen was hurt.

District Judge Wayne Gongaware denied bail for Al Hilali and Maskil, citing a danger to the community and severity of the charges, according to online court records. Neither suspect had an attorney listed. They were being held at the Westmoreland County Prison. Preliminary hearings are set for Dec. 22.

Maskil was sentenced to two years of probation in July 2020 on a simple assault charge stemming from a 2019 incident in Versailles, Allegheny County, according to online court records.