Tag Archives: kidnapping

Inland Empire: Attempted Kidnapping Near Perris School

Staff Reports

Perris – On Dec. 9, the Perris Police Department was notified of an attempted kidnapping in the area of Lakeside Middle School in the city of Perris. The incident was reported to have occurred the day before, on Dec. 8 at approximately 4:20 PM. The victim was a 12-year old female who reported the incident to school officials the following morning.

According to the victim, she was walking on Sherman Avenue, north of Walnut Street, when she was approached by a red vehicle. From inside the vehicle, the suspect yelled out to her to get into his car. The child said she ignored him and continued to walk on the sidewalk. She said the suspect pulled forward, parked his car and walked toward her telling her to get in his car. When she refused, the suspect grabbed her and attempted to pull her toward his car. The victim said she kicked the suspect, broke free and ran to her father who was waiting around the corner to pick her up after a school activity. The victim and her father searched the area for the suspect; however, they were unable to locate him.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his 30s, with a muscular build, approximately six feet tall, 240 lbs. The victim described a “curvy” tattoo on the suspect’s right shoulder, believed to be a dragon. The suspect was wearing a black “beanie” style winter hat, black T-shirt with an eagle print on the front and the word “what” printed on the back of the shirt. The suspect had faded blue jeans and fled in a red, four-door sedan type vehicle.

According to the Perris Police Department, further investigation has revealed that two other attempted kidnappings may have occurred involving this same suspect and vehicle – one on Oct. 16, and the other on Dec. 1 – each occurring around Lakeside Middle School. The Perris Police Department is working closely with administrators from the Val Verde School District to ensure the safety of the students.

Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about the dangers of getting into a stranger’s car and discussing a safety plan in the event they are approached by a stranger. Although more officers have been assigned to these areas, the Perris Police Department is encouraging children walking to and from school to walk with an adult or in a group.

Officers and Detectives from the Perris Police Department are aggressively investigating these incidents and are asking anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Investigator Parker at the Perris Police Department by calling (951) 210-1048, via email at PerrisStation@RiversideSheriff.org, or contact WeTip at 1-800-78-Crime. Citizens may also submit an anonymous tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

Riverside: Local Man Arrested For Kidnapping

STAFF REPORTS

 

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Suspect Roberto Marcos (Photo Courtesy: SBSD)

Riverside – On Sept. 26, a 65-year old male victim came to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s (SBSD) Fontana Station to report he had been assaulted and kidnapped at his residence in Bloomington.

According to SBSD, two Hispanic male suspects confronted the victim and demanded he tell them the whereabouts of a female involved in a relationship with one of the suspects. The suspects forced the victim away from his residence and drove him to an undisclosed area of San Bernardino, where they continued to assault him and threaten him. The victim was tied up with an electrical cord and driven to a residence in Riverside. Once the suspects discovered the whereabouts of the female, the suspects released the victim but threatened to kill him if he alerted the police.

Fontana Station detectives conducted an extensive follow-up investigation and identified one of the suspects as Roberto Marcos. Surveillance was conducted at Marcos’ residence in Riverside and detectives took Marcos into custody as he attempted to drive away. Evidence related to the kidnapping was recovered from Marcos’ residence during a subsequent search warrant. Marcos is in custody at the Central Detention Center on charges of Kidnapping and Terrorist Threats. He is being held in lieu of $600,000 bail.

Detectives are still seeking information on the second suspect, an unidentified Hispanic male in his early 30s, approximately 6’0”, 200 pounds, black hair, brown eyes, bald or shaved head, and last seen wearing a blue mechanics jumpsuit, driving a maroon or burgundy, early 90s, 4-door import sedan.

 

Anyone with additional information regarding this case is asked to contact Detective Joe Parker or Sergeant Mark Martinez at the Fontana Station, at (909) 356-6767.

Pomona: Gang Convicted of Multiple Crimes

STAFF REPORTS

Robert Louis Caballero (Photo Courtesy: City of Chino)

Robert Louis Caballero (Photo Courtesy: City of Chino)

Pomona – Three members of the 12th Street Gang were found guilty of a series of murders and kidnappings on Thurs., Aug. 14.

According to the Pomona Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Robert Louis Caballero, 37, was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping, one count of assault with a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, evading an officer and willful disregard. The jury deliberated for two days before their findings, along with the special circumstances of lying in wait, murder during the course of a kidnapping, and multiple murders.

Another defendant, Pete Trejo, Jr., 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and the special circumstances of lying in wait, and murder during the course of a kidnapping.

A third defendant, Andrew Valenzuela, 23, was also convicted of one count of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and the special circumstances of murder during the course of a kidnapping.

The crimes began on Sept., 29, 2009, when Caballero killed Armando Vidana, a Cherryville gang member. Vidana was shot eight times and his body was left in the street in Pomona.

The Pomona Police Department further states that on Nov. 5, 2009, Caballero was at home with an 18-year old kidnapped victim, along with his cousin David Padilla, and a Lorraine Minjarez. During the visit, Caballero became suspicious of Minjarez and believed she was going to tell police that he killed Vidana. Caballero lured Minjarez to a nearby vehicle driven by his cousin, with the kidnapped victim also seated in the car. From that location they picked up the codefendant, Trejo.

During the ride, Caballero directed the driver to take them to Mt. Baldy. After they arrived, Caballero then directed Trejo to dig a grave while he strangled Minjarez. Once she was killed, Trejo buried her body and Caballero ordered the kidnapped victim to hide the evidence.

The next day, suspicious of Padilla’s loyalty to him, Caballero lured his cousin to a remote freeway overpass. Once there, he directed codefendant Valenzuela to strangle Padilla while forcing the kidnapped victim to watch. Prosecutors stated that Valenzuela strangled and beat Padilla to death with rocks.

                Pomona Police homicide detectives investigated the initial homicide that occurred on Sept., 29, 2009. Caballero was eventually identified as the suspect in this homicide and a manhunt was conducted.  On Nov. 7, 2009, Caballero was located and a pursuit was initiated by Pomona Police Officers.  Caballero fled on foot from the pursuit vehicle in Montclair and after a lengthy search, he was located.

                The investigation was continued by Pomona Police Homicide Detectives and they eventually located two additional homicide victims.  One was located in Mt. Baldy on a hillside (investigated by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department). The other victim was located in Chino (investigated by the Chino Police Department).

Valenzuela was eventually charged with the indicated crimes as well.  He was also located in Pomona by Pomona Police Officers after being involved in a pursuit.  Trejo was also charged and he was eventually arrested after a murder warrant was issued.

Trejo and Valenzuela are scheduled to be sentenced October 3 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. They face a maximum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole. The penalty phase for Caballero began on August 19.

 

Rowland Heights: Local Kidnap and Ransom Rescue

STAFF REPORTS

 

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Rowland Heights garage where kidnap victim was held. (Photo Courtesy: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

Rowland Heights – On Mon., Aug. 4, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s (LASD) Major Crimes Bureau became involved in a kidnap for ransom case. LASD reported that the victim, a 44-year old female, had been forcibly kidnapped in the Rowland Heights area and a ransom demand of $110,000 for her safe return had been made to a family member. The caller indicated that the victim would be harmed or killed if the ransom was not paid.

LASD reported that approximately 25 Detectives initiated an around-the-clock investigation, and through resources, developed several leads which eventually focused on a multi-unit housing complex located in Rowland Heights.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the location and on Wed., Aug. 6, at approximately 9 a.m., the warrant was served. Detectives discovered the victim, who was bound and hidden in a dark, cluttered garage at the location. One of the victim’s captors, suspect Francisco Inacua, 34, who was guarding her at the time of the encounter, was immediately arrested. The victim obviously dazed and traumatized by the ordeal, emerged from the garage in tears, hugging one of detectives that had rescued her.

Quickly following the rescue of the victim and the arrest of Inacua that same day, Detectives arrested Inacua’s sister, suspect Rocio Inacua, 32, and Rocio’s common-law husband, suspect Uziel Figueroa, 32, for their active involvement in the kidnapping of the victim. Ironically, it was Francisco Inacua, (whose wife, suspect Judith Maldonado, 40, had befriended the victim while the two worked together for quite some time at a factory in the City of Industry) that had offered the victim a ride home following work after the victim had missed the bus.

While driving the victim toward her home, suspect Francisco Inacua – who had coordinated the kidnapping with the other suspects – pulled into a restaurant parking lot and exited the vehicle, while suspects Rocio Inacua and Uziel Figueroa kidnapped the victim at gunpoint, forcing her to the floorboard of the vehicle. She was driven to the garage, bound and blindfolded by duct tape, and kept in squalid conditions until her rescue two days later.

Suspect Judith Maldonado was arrested the following day, and all of the suspects have admitted their role in kidnapping the victim. The motive appears to be for financial gain only. The suspects were charged with kidnapping for ransom and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and remain incarcerated in lieu of $2 million bail. All four suspects are residents of Rowland Heights.