FBI: Teen Rescued Safely in ABQ After Kidnap, Ransom Demand
By Desiree Hunter/
Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The successful rescue of an abducted Guatemalan teenager and the arrest of his suspected captors — who allegedly demanded a ransom for his life — was cited Thursday as an example of the importance of bridging the gap between law enforcement and the Hispanic community.
FBI agents arrested the suspects in Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday night after being tipped by local agents who learned of the apparent abduction from police, said Michael Gavin, a special agent with the Montgomery FBI office.
The case shows that members of the Hispanic community are feeling more comfortable about reaching out to police for help, and that's important, Gavin said Thursday.
"I have been involved in cases where people have been victims of excruciating abuse and because they were illegally in the country and fearful of coming forward, the suspects got away,'' he said.
Investigators believe the suspects brought the 17-year-old through Arizona to Montgomery on Tuesday at the request of his brother, who lives in the capital city.
The men allegedly demanded more than the $2,200 that had been agreed upon for the teen's transport and abducted the teen after his brother couldn't pay the higher price, Gavin said.
He said the price went as high as $6,000 and the men threatened to kill the teen if the ransom was not paid.
"As so often happens in these types of cases ... once they realize there is monetary gain, they extort money,'' Gavin said.
The suspects and the teen, who is being cared for by the FBI's victim's assistance office, were still in New Mexico on Thursday. Their names were not immediately released.
Gavin said the relationship between the suspects and the teen was unknown.
The suspects are expected back in Alabama sometime next week to face federal kidnapping charges.
According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 98,388 people of Hispanic or Latino origin in Alabama in July 2004. However, most involved with the community say those figures are usually grossly understated, especially because they do not include undocumented residents.
Rev. Mario Aman, who leads a Hispanic service at Frazer United Methodist Church, estimates there are 6,000 to 7,000 Hispanics in Montgomery, Elmore and Autauga counties alone and says the low numbers are understandable.
"Believe me — when it comes to numbers, Hispanics don't show up for polls and all that stuff. They hide,'' he said.
Aman, Long and Gavin all praised the Montgomery Police Department's Cultural Division, which aided in the case and has organized safety meetings with the Hispanic community.
"They've not only helped in this case, but what I am hearing from almost every Hispanic person that I ask, 'Do the police respect you?' almost every time I hear: so far, so good,'' Long said.
Pam Long, who leads a Hispanic service at Christ the Redeemer Episcopal Church in Montgomery, said cultural differences make the balance between Hispanics — some of whom are in the country illegally — and police even more delicate.
"The assumptions that they come here with are extremely different from what ours' are,'' said Long, who also teaches Spanish and French at Auburn University Montgomery. "We're raised with respect for police officers ... They grow up in an atmosphere where police abuse people and are sometimes the thugs themselves. They come here and right off the bat their attitudes toward police officers is fearsome.''
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