Three men were accused of kidnapping the coworker of their intended victim accidentally.

Three men have been charged in Florida with kidnapping after they allegedly abducted an individual at gunpoint, only to realize that they had the wrong person.

According to a criminal charge filed in the Southern District of Florida, (via Fox News), on October 14, a man left his home when one of three alleged abductors "brandished a gun while wearing police clothing and a full face mask." The man was forced into a Dodge Challenger and his phone was thrown from the car. He was taken to an Airbnb that was rented by alleged kidnappers.

Raymond Gomez, brothers Jeffry Aritsa and Jonathan Aritsa have all been identified. Authorities claim that Jeffry asked the victim to "identify himself" when they arrived at the rental. This "implied they had kidnapped a wrong person." The abductors confirmed their fears when they checked the victim's ID.

According to the complaint, the mishap was caused by the target's use of the victim's vehicle. Both the man they grabbed, and the man they hoped would grab are coworkers.

In a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office, it is stated that "rather than releasing their victim, the kidnappers threatened to kill him while pointing guns, tasers and an electric drill towards the kidnapped victims." Attorney's Office. The complaint states that "The Victim believed he would drown."

According to the law enforcement, the victim was given a new cell phone via the complaint. With this phone, he could access his iCloud account and obtain his coworker’s number. The victim was "forced" to contact the coworker to try to set up plans. The kidnappers allegedly lured the coworker to their business by bringing the victim there.

The complaint says the kidnappers ordered the victim to enter the business alone. But instead of calling in a bomb scare, they made a call, and police said they did this "to get a quick response from the police."

Jonathan Arista allegedly told authorities that he and brother were approached three days prior by a stranger about the incident. He said he was afraid for his safety if he gave any more information.

Gomez, who was arrested soon after, reportedly said that the three of them had "committed the crimes at the direction of a unknown male," referring to Jeffry Arista on the phone. Gomez, according to reports, said that the attempted kidnapping occurred over "monetary debt." He also stated that he felt bad for "the Victim."

According to NBC News all three were charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, and aggravated assault. They each face the maximum punishment of life imprisonment if convicted. Jeffry, Jonathan and Gomez made their first court appearances Monday.

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Title: 3 Men Accused of Kidnapping, Waterboarding and Threatening Wrong Target with Electric Drill
Sourced From: www.toofab.com/2023/10/18/men-accused-of-kidnapping-torturing-wrong-target/
Published Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2023 18:36:05 +0000

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