Global Courant
Authorities have rescued a 17-year-old boy in Southern California after he was kidnapped and held hostage for four days by kidnappers who threatened to harm him if his family did not pay a $500,000 ransom.
By means ofThe Associated Press
September 24, 2023, 7:34 PM
SANTA MARIA, California — Authorities have rescued a 17-year-old boy in Southern California after he was kidnapped and held hostage for four days by kidnappers who threatened to harm him if his family did not pay a $500,000 ransom.
The teen was rescued Friday after police tracked him and his three captors to a motel in Santa Maria, a city about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The nightmare began Monday morning when kidnappers caused a car crash in San Bernardino County, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from Sant Maria, and kidnapped the teenager as he got out of his car to view the damage, the US said. Los Angeles law firm. A doorbell camera recorded the kidnapping.
The kidnappers called the teen’s mother from a Mexican phone number and demanded $500,000, saying it had to be delivered to Nogales, Mexico, federal prosecutors said. The men called her repeatedly over the four days and threatened to harm her son if the family did not pay.
The suspects also recorded a video showing the teen being forced to read a script stating that the kidnapping was his father’s fault because of an incident that allegedly occurred in New York, authorities said. According to the script, the father knew what he had stolen, and the video was sent to the boy’s mother.
“Few things can be as terrifying to a parent as having your child kidnapped and held for ransom under threat of physical harm,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.
The kidnappers, three men in their 20s, were federally charged with kidnapping and could face life in prison if convicted. They will appear in court on Monday afternoon.
Law enforcement officials used a Facebook Marketplace post and doorbell camera footage to track the victim and suspects to Santa Maria. At least one firearm was recovered from the motel.
Authorities found the boy lying on the floor in a corner of the motel room. The family did not pay the ransom, officials said.
