Authorities have rescued a 17-year-old boy from a motel in Santa Maria, about 140 miles (225 kilometres) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The boy had been kidnapped and held hostage for four days when they found him.

Law enforcement tracked the boy and his three kidnappers, Fidel Jesús Patino Jaimes (22), Jair Tomás Ramos Domínguez (26), and Ezequiel Felix López (27), to a Motel 6 on East Main Street in Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County. 

The trio were charged Friday with kidnapping, a felony punishable by up to life in prison in the state of California, and are scheduled to make their first court appearance Monday in Los Angeles.

Apart from the doorbell camera footage, authorities were able to locate the kidnappers using licence plate readers and cell phone pings to track their route. The tracking data revealed that their vehicle had crossed the US from Mexico via the San Luis Port of Entry in Arizona on September 17 and arrived in Santa Maria the following day.

According to the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, the kidnappers had crashed into the victim’s car on Monday as he was driving in San Bernardino County, around 200 miles (320 kilometres) from Santa Maria. They abducted him when he got out to look at the damage. 

The kidnappers called the teen’s mother from a Mexican phone number and demanded a ransom of $500,000 (€472,600). The money was to be delivered to Nogales, Mexico. They threatened to harm her son if the family did not pay. The kidnappers even lowered their ransom demand to $100,000 after the mother explained that she could not afford to pay more.

They repeatedly made the call, with a video of the teen being forced to read a script saying the abduction was his father’s fault for an incident allegedly occurring in New York. They claimed his father had stolen from them, although what supposedly had been stolen was not revealed.

Another kidnapping case

The kidnapping case is reminiscent of a similar incident in Birmingham. Four men were sentenced to 10 years for abducting a 17-year-old teenager and subjecting him to threats with a shotgun and sword during a robbery. 

According to the police, the victim was forcibly taken into a car outside a snooker hall in Birmingham. Nickyle Harris, Daejon Byfield, Panashe Mahachi, and Danreiko Henry pressured him to provide money from the contacts listed on his phone. 

They stole £350 from him and made him transfer money from his bank account. They also took his phone and trainers before dumping him near Sandwell and Dudley railway station.

Keeping your loved ones safe

Kidnapping cases in England and Wales have increased in the past year. According to data from Statista, police recorded 7,420 incidents, including 1,122 child abductions, in 2022/2023.

“Few things can be as terrifying to a parent as having your child kidnapped and held for ransom under threat of physical harm,” said US Attorney Martin Estrada.

These cases are a reminder to keep your loved ones close and protected, apart from yourself. This is especially important for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and their families, who are more vulnerable to becoming targets due to their wealth and assets. 

If you and your loved ones are worried about being attacked, close protection officers can accompany you as you go about your day. You can place them around your residence, go in one car with you, and even follow you to the gym, grocery store, or office.

If you or your loved ones need protection but want some distance and privacy, you can instead opt for protective surveillance. These officers will blend into their surroundings so no one will suspect their whereabouts. They won’t be as visible as close protection officers, but they will keep an eye on their clients.
Consider reaching out to security agencies like Marengo if you think you and your loved ones need these services.