Man Gets Life in Prison for Role in Kidnaping

A Van Nuys man was sentenced Monday to life in prison for his part in kidnaping and holding for ransom a businessman in an attempt to recover a claimed $30,000 debt, prosecutors said.

Salvador Feliciano, 29, was convicted by a jury last month of kidnaping in the Sept. 19, 1989, abduction of Rubell Shumahine, 34, the owner of an auto parts business near downtown Los Angeles, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Campbell said.

Two accomplices, Lisa Ann Parry 24, of Van Nuys and Eugene Cumba, 40, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty earlier this year to kidnaping charges and were sentenced to county jail terms, Campbell said.

Campbell said Feliciano received the stiffest sentence because he planned the kidnaping after being hired by the owner of a check-cashing business to recover the money. The owner, who said Shumahine had written a bad check for $30,000 at his business, was not charged because there was no evidence he had asked Feliciano to kidnap Shumahine, Campbell said.

The three attackers grabbed Shumahine as he got out of his car near his La Brea Avenue business, Campbell said. Shumahine was then driven to Feliciano’s apartment in Van Nuys, where Shumahine was kept for about eight hours, Campbell said. Witnesses gave police the license number of the car, which was traced to the Van Nuys apartment. Police also traced three ransom calls placed to Shumahine’s wife demanding $30,000, Campbell said.

After fleeing the apartment, the three men led police on a chase over 10 miles of residential streets in the San Fernando Valley before their car hit a curb and they were arrested, police said. Shumahine was found in the car unhurt.

During the trial, evidence was presented that Shumahine had begun repaying the $30,000 debt before the kidnaping.