EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two men are facing kidnapping charges after a bizarre nine-day ordeal that saw the victim taken from his home in El Paso County and bound with zip ties, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.
A multi-agency effort tracked down the two suspects, in part using aerial surveillance, when they were waiting for the victim’s family to drop off ransom money, court documents said. The victim was also found in a makeshift basement in one of the suspect’s homes.
The kidnapping took place on Dec. 9 and the two suspects were arrested on Dec. 18, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Uriel Herrera Contreras, 40, and Jose Antonio Herrera, 44, were taken into custody and charged with aggravated kidnapping, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
On Dec. 9, Sheriff’s deputies were sent out to a residence along Clifton Hills Road about a report of an aggravated kidnapping.
The victim’s wife said two men kidnapped her husband after they rang the doorbell of their home and said they had “gifts.”
The wife said the suspects tied their hands behind their backs using zip ties. She said her mouth was also taped shut.
She was also given a shot in the butt, which was “supposed to knock her out,” court documents said.
The two men who entered the house were pointing guns at them, the wife told deputies.
The wife also gave deputies a description of the suspect that they were both in their 20s.
The suspects cut off the woman’s restraints before leaving and then left in the victim’s pickup truck, according to court documents.
The alleged kidnappers also left a recorded ransom message at the house on an SD card, demanding $600,000 and saying they had 15 days to get the money.
The Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the FBI and Texas Rangers. Investigators were able find the victim’s truck at Petro Truck Stop.
Investigators were also able to obtain dashcam footage from a semitruck that was parked there and obtained images of at least one of the suspects.
On Monday, Dec. 16, the alleged kidnappers contacted the family of the victim and told them to proceed to mile marker 42 along eastbound Interstate 10 in East El Paso County.
The family was told there would be a rock next to the mile marker. Under the rock would be an SD card that contained instructions.
Later that day, the victim’s brother drove out to the mile marker and picked up a plastic bag that included an SD card like the one with the intial ransom message, according to court documents.
The family and investigators listened to the message, which said that any deviation from the plan would “cost them the life” of their family member.
The message also asked them to lower the flag at their business to indicate, which law enforcement told them to do.
The family continued to negoitate with the alleged kidnappers and law enforcement used aerial surveillance to discover an ATV near the initial drop site.
They were able to trace the ATV to a home along Brown Road in El Paso County.
The home was found to belong to the one of the suspects.
Investigators also discovered another home, along Onate, that belonged to the other suspect.
Both homes were monitored and eventually searched.
During the search of the home on Brown, law enforcement found writings containing the victim’s name, ski masks, zip ties, duct tape, SD cards, a voice recorder and latex gloves. They also found a car there that matched the description of the vehicle used to drop off the two alleged kidnappers at the victim’s home.
The victim was found in a makeshift basement in the home on Onate. The victim was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation.
Both suspects told law enforcement that they were “forced” to take part in the kidnapping. Court documents also say that the suspects knew the victim’s brother but did not elaborate.
Court documents also say they suspects used ATVs and SUVs to travel on backroads, dirt roads and canals during the kidnapping to avoid the authorities.
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