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4 Held in Kidnap That Ended in Shooting : Crime: Suspect wounded by officer after being driven to police parking lot by one of the alleged victims.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Three people were arrested Sunday in connection with a foiled kidnap attempt that had ended earlier when police shot and wounded a fourth suspect at the Orange police station, where he had been driven without his knowledge by the alleged victims.

Luis Duque, 26, and Jose Hernandez Garcia, 42, both of Santa Ana, and a juvenile whose name was not released were arrested on kidnaping charges early Sunday morning in Santa Ana, a day after three people, including a day-old baby boy, were reportedly abducted near Riverside.

Orange Police Sgt. Art Romo said investigators found the suspects and their small gray car on a residential street in Santa Ana, where they were arrested without incident and taken to Orange County Jail and Juvenile Hall.

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All three are being held in connection with an alleged kidnaping that began about 3 p.m. Saturday near the Riverside Freeway in Riverside. Police said the victims, Nelson Preves, 45, of Santa Ana, Esines Lisett Rodriquez, 23, of Orange, and her child, were abducted in the drug-related incident after visiting Rodriquez’s grandmother.

“It’s strange what happened,” Romo said, “especially when you have a day-old infant involved.”

Four men in a gray car confronted Preves, Rodriquez and the baby as they drove away from the grandmother’s home in a late-model Mazda pickup truck. According to police reports, one suspect, Emilio Sitt Garcia, 19, armed with a .45-caliber pistol, ordered Preves to drive to Santa Ana and jumped in the back of the Mazda alone.

But Preves knew the location of the Orange police station and, unbeknown to Garcia, headed there instead. The other suspects followed in the gray car at least part of the way before going on to Santa Ana.

Police said the truck arrived about 4:45 p.m. in the back lot of the department at 300 Almond St. Rodriquez, holding the baby, jumped out and ran toward a motorcycle officer, who was standing about 10 feet away. Romo said the young woman stopped in front of the truck and tried to explain why they needed help.

Meanwhile, Garcia jumped from the bed of the truck into the passenger side of the cab, where he wrestled with Preves over the .45-caliber pistol. During the scuffle, Romo said, the gun went off, wounding Preves in the chest and hand.

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Hearing the gunshots, Rodriquez fell to the ground with the baby, Romo said, and the officer ordered Garcia to drop the gun. When he failed to obey the command, Romo said, the officer fired two shots, hitting Garcia in the hip and abdomen.

Gunfire shattered the Mazda’s windshield and windows on the passenger’s and driver’s sides.

“You really don’t know what is going on in some of these things,” Romo said. “But if someone is shooting, you have to take immediate action to stop the threat.”

Garcia, who was held on suspicion of attempted murder and kidnaping, was treated at UCI Medical Center in Orange and transfered to the jail ward at United Western Medical Center-Anaheim. Preves was admitted to the intensive care unit at United Western Medical Center-Santa Ana. Both were listed in stable condition Sunday.

The Orange County district attorney’s office is investigating the shooting and police are looking into the entire incident, but some details remain sketchy.

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