Chula Vista

Charges against a woman who allegedly helped her boyfriend, who had been wounded by police, escape from a Chula Vista hospital were dismissed Monday by a judge.

The charges of kidnaping against Teresa Reyes, 24, of San Ysidro, were dropped after Jon Lowry, a former security guard at the hospital, refused to testify, citing his 5th Amendment right not to incriminate himself.

At the time of the Jan. 29 incident, Lowry told police that Reyes was visiting her boyfriend, Michael Valadez, 27, of Spring Valley, in the hospital where he was recuperating from a gunshot wound suffered during a drug raid.

Lowry told authorities at the time that Reyes said she had a bomb in a sack and forced him to drive Valadez and her to Tijuana. He said he saw exposed wires in the sack and did not look further.

At Reyes’ preliminary hearing Monday, Deputy Dist. Atty. George Bennett moved to dismiss the case, saying that Lowry was the only witness to the kidnaping.

San Diego Municipal Judge Richard Hanscom granted the request.

Lowry said he wanted immunity before testifying, but Bennett would not offer it. Lowry had worked as a security guard for Wackenhut Corp., but quit several days after the incident.

Valadez was sentenced May 8 to six years in prison on the escape charge and two drug charges.