Atlantic City Man Guilty of Murder in Taj Mahal Carjacking Case

An Atlantic City man charged with the carjacking, kidnapping and eventual murder of a North Bergen man from the Trump Taj Mahal parking garage in 2010 was found guilty on all but one count, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel said Thursday afternoon, April 26.

Craig Arno, 46, and his co-defendant Jessica Kisby, 26, of Egg Harbor Township, are said to have carjacked 47-year-old Martin Caballero just after he dropped his family off at the entrance to the Taj Mahal on May 21, 2010, Housel said. They forced Caballero into the trunk of his car and drove to a farmer's field in Hamilton Township, stabbed him to death and abandoned his body, Housel said. 

They then drove his car to Blackwood, Camden County, and set it on fire in an effort to destroy the evidence, Housel said.

They were arrested on kidnapping and carjacking charges on May 28, 2010, at the Golden Key Motel in Egg Harbor Township, where they were found with three knives on the nightstand. The victim's body was discovered on May 30 at the farmer's field, and the charges were then upgraded to murder, Housel said.

Kisby pleaded guilty to seven counts via plea agreement on Feb. 14 of this year, including: murder, car jacking, theft of an automobile, aggravated arson and
three counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.

One condition of the agreement was for Kisby to testify truthfully on behalf of the state during Arno's trial. On April 16, Kisby testified that she and Arno together had carjacked, kidnapped and murdered the victim by stabbing him to death in the trunk of his car.

Kisby admitted her part in the murder, saying she held Caballero's legs down and cut him with a box cutter while Arno stabbed him too many times for Kisby to count, Housel said.

Per the agreement, Kisby will be sentenced at the conclusion of the trial, Housel said.