A Clifton man who allegedly captured people and forced them to buy Red Bull energy drinks for him has been charged with robbery and kidnapping, police said.

"These were nice, compassionate people who were taken advantage of," said Paramus Deputy Chief Robert M. Guidetti. "It's such a horrible thing." Eddie J. Johnson, 27, approached a woman in the Bergen Town Center parking lot Feb. 15 and asked her for money, Paramus police said.

When the woman said no, Johnson allegedly forced the woman to drive him to an ATM to withdraw money; she purposely entered the wrong PIN number so she couldn't withdraw the funds, police said. Johnson allegedly forced the woman to drive to the Elmwood Park Pathmark and buy him $70 worth of Red Bull energy drinks, police said, and fled on foot following the purchase.

Johnson asked a man in the underground AMC parking lot at the Garden State Plaza for money Aug. 13, police reported. When the man said no, Johnson forced him to drive to Paterson where he allegedly took $30 from the man and his iPhone. Johnson approached a man in the Garden State Plaza's south parking lot Sept. 10 and asked for a ride to the other side of the mall, police said.

Johnson allegedly got into the vehicle, brandished a knife, and forced the man to drive to two ATMs where he withdrew $60, police said.

Johnson allegedly forced the man to drive to the Elmwood Park Pathmark to purchase Red Bulls, but the $60 transaction was denied, police said. The man was allegedly forced to drive to Paterson, where Johnson allegedly took his cellphone and fled on foot.

Paramus detectives worked for months to identify Johnson, police said. On Sept. 11, with help from the Fair Lawn Police Department, Johnson was identified using surveillance video footage, police said.