Ex-Boyfriend Dragged Off; Police Suspect a Family Feud

A young Santa Ana man was seized at gunpoint and dragged, screaming, from his house Friday night, but turned up unharmed Saturday, Santa Ana police spokesman said.

Sgt. J. Smith said a group of perhaps five men broke into the home of Melchor Contreras Nunez, 19, seized him and took him away in a pickup truck. Police believe the abductors were all relatives of Nunez’s former girlfriend.

Nunez apparently was freed the next day, however. He appeared, unhurt, at Santa Ana police headquarters about 6 p.m. Police released him after questioning, but would not give details of the interview.

Sgt. Ken Koordyk said Saturday night that circumstances of the case were still under investigation. Sgt. Smith said the girl’s father, Raul Nunez, 50, of Hawaiian Gardens (no relation to the victim), was angry because the youth had persuaded his 15-year-old daughter to live with him and then broke off the relationship.

Melchor Nunez was alone in the living room of his Wisteria Place home about 11:15 p.m. Friday, when the girl’s male relatives broke in and grabbed him, according to police.

Armando Nunez, Melchor’s brother, said Melchor called to others inside the house, “Please call the police! Call the police! Don’t let them take me!” as he was dragged out the front door.

Sgt. Smith said the girl’s father was arrested Saturday morning on suspicion of kidnaping, but would not say whether police believe he took part in the abduction.

In an interview early Saturday, Armando Nunez, 22, said he was awakened by his brother’s screams Friday night when four or five men, some with pistols and one carrying a .30-caliber rifle, burst in.

“They didn’t knock on the door or anything like that. They just came in. He (Melchor) was there in the living room, all alone. They surrounded him and told him to put his hands up.

“Then they put one hand on top of his head and the other was twisted behind him, and they just dragged him out,” the brother said.

He said Melchor came to the United States from Mexico almost a year ago, and has been employed at a Santa Ana mattress factory.

He met the girl several months ago, and they lived together for about three weeks before they split up, Armando Nunez said.

Girlfriend at Home

The girl, whom police would not name, is back living with her parents in Hawaiian Gardens, police said.

Armando Nunez described her as coming from a very close Mexican-American family. He said it is Mexican tradition to retaliate when a family member’s honor is besmirched.

Meanwhile, police said they were looking for four other members of the girl’s family. Francisco Nunez, 36, Jose Nunez, 32, Ricardo Nunez, 25, and Rafael Nunez, 38, all of Hawaiian Gardens, were wanted for questioning.

They were also seeking the truck, described as a 1972-74 brown Ford pickup with a brown camper shell.