The short version
- El Nuevo Día reports a judge in Ponce found cause to arrest Ángel L. Pérez Acevedo, 37, of San Juan, for a false kidnapping call on Oct. 28
- El Vocero reports the victim received the call at Centro del Sur Mall in Ponce demanding $10,000 and was directed to leave cash at a Burger King in Salinas where two men were arrested
- Police identified the arrested men as Ángel Luis Pérez Acevedo, 37, and Giovannie E. Correa Ocasio, 33, both from Hato Rey, according to El Vocero
- El Nuevo Día states the case was filed for fraud and aggravated illegal appropriation; a judge set $14,000 bail and the preliminary hearing is Nov. 10
Arrest follows extortion attempt
The Ponce court found cause for the arrest of Ángel L. Pérez Acevedo, a 37-year-old resident of San Juan, on charges related to a false kidnapping, El Nuevo Día reported. According to the police, the suspect called the victim on Oct. 28 claiming to have the victim's child and demanding $10,000 for release. The case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Corps in Ponce and referred to prosecutor Alexandra Cardín, who filed charges of fraud and aggravated illegal appropriation.
After reviewing the evidence, Judge Laudelino F. Mulero determined there was probable cause and set a total bond of $14,000. Pérez Acevedo posted bail with a private bondsman and was released under conditions until the preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 10, El Nuevo Día reported.
The victim received the call while at the Centro del Sur Mall in Ponce. Following police instructions, the victim left a white envelope containing the money in a trash area at a Burger King parking lot on PR-1 in Salinas, across from Campamento Santiago. Officers arrested two men who approached to retrieve it, El Vocero reported.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Ponce travel guide
Two men detained in Salinas
The two men arrested were identified as Ángel Luis Pérez Acevedo, 37, and Giovannie E. Correa Ocasio, 33, both residents of the Nemesio R. Canales housing project in Hato Rey. The case was referred to the Robbery, Extortion and Missing Persons division of the Ponce Criminal Investigation Corps, El Vocero reported.
The incident occurred amid a night of other violent crimes across Puerto Rico, including a fatal shooting in Toa Baja, two people wounded by gunfire in San Juan and several other incidents, according to the same report. The false kidnapping case itself was handled separately by authorities in Ponce.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and El Vocero agree that Ángel L. Pérez Acevedo, 37, from San Juan, was arrested in connection with a false kidnapping demand of $10,000 on Oct. 28 and that a Ponce judge found cause for arrest. El Nuevo Día names only Pérez Acevedo, states the call was made on Oct. 28, lists charges as fraud and aggravated illegal appropriation, reports a $14,000 bond and a Nov. 10 preliminary hearing. El Vocero, published a day earlier, names two arrested men including Giovannie E. Correa Ocasio, 33, gives the location details of the mall in Ponce and the Burger King drop in Salinas, and refers the case to a specific police division but does not mention the court outcome, bond or hearing date.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether any money was actually handed over before the arrest, the exact role each arrested man is alleged to have played, whether the child mentioned in the call was ever at risk or involved, the current status of any co-defendant proceedings, or what evidence beyond the call and the pickup attempt was presented in court.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Hallan causa para arresto contra hombre que pidió $10,000 por rescate en un falso secuestro
- Reporting Hallan causa para arresto contra hombre que pidió $10,000 por rescate en un falso secuestro
- Reporting Falso secuestro por $10,000 termina en arrestos en medio de jornada violenta en la isla
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día reported the court finding of cause, the charges, bond and hearing date. El Vocero described the operational details of the call, the money drop location and the arrests of two men. Information on the second suspect and precise locations rests solely on El Vocero.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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