Anaheim Police Rescue Abductee, Then Arrest Him

Straight from the arms of his alleged kidnappers to the long arm of the law, a 24-year-old Anaheim man was in jail Sunday on suspicion of drug trafficking after police freed him from his captors.

He was arrested Saturday along with the five people suspected of kidnapping him in what police believe was a dispute over drugs or money.

“Given his options, I think he is much better off in jail,” said Anaheim Police Sgt. Joe Vargas.

The man, whom authorities declined to identify to protect his safety, was abducted Friday afternoon from an unincorporated area near Anaheim, Vargas said.

Police received information about the kidnapping Friday evening from an unidentified person, he said. The investigation led to a house at 9902 Broadway.

“Officers began surveillance on the house,” Vargas said. “They later stopped two men leaving the house. Inside the car they found the victim’s ID bracelet.”

The officers entered the house and found three more people, a woman and two men, and the kidnap victim bound and blindfolded.

Police arrested Julio Franco, 23, Jose Perez, 24, Elizabeth Hurtado, 23, Armando Cordova, 31, and Gustavo Sanchez, 22, on suspicion of kidnapping. All were believed to be residents of Anaheim.

Vargas said the kidnappers had telephoned the victim’s relatives in Oregon demanding thousands of dollars in ransom. The Oregon relatives then called family members in Anaheim to tell them about the kidnapping, but none of the relatives called the police, Vargas said. After police approached the victim’s family in Anaheim, the kidnappers again called demanding the ransom.

Vargas would not say whether the call led police officers to the Broadway house.

“We are still investigating,” he said. “But it seems there was some kind of dispute over drugs or money.”

Vargas said the kidnap victim is believed to be a narcotics dealer. “This shows the inherent dangers of being involved in this type of business,” Vargas said. “He will be with us now for a while.”