Malaga Man Gets Prison Time for Fleeing Gas Station with Pinned Attendant

A Malaga man was sentenced to six years in state prison for driving away from a Sewell gas station without paying and dragging a pinned gas attendant down Route 47 in Deptford last year. 

John O. Paris, 36, of the 3800 block of Harding Highway, Malaga, had previously pleaded guilty to a second-degree charge of eluding. 

On June 5, 2011, Paris sped from the station with the attendant's arm trapped in his rolled-up car window. The attendant mounted the roof of the car and remained there for several miles. He was eventually freed with the help of two men who called 911 and followed Paris as he weaved through traffic heading north on Route 47, forcing other vehicles off the road. The men blocked Paris' car and one helped free the attendant, who was not seriously injured. Police arrested Paris about a month after the incident, based on a tip, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. 

During Paris' sentencing Friday in state Superior Court in Woodbury, Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson cited his prior criminal record and noted he has "shortcomings accepting responsibility for his actions."

Paris received credit for time served for the 471 days he spend in the Gloucester County Jail after his arrest.