Stafford woman found tied up, blindfolded in Galveston as police arrest 5 accused kidnappers
Stafford, Texas - A Stafford woman was found bound and blindfolded in Galveston after police rescued her from a group of kidnappers. Investigators say her former co-worker was behind the whole horrible ordeal.
"It's very shocking," says one neighbor in the tight-knit Stafford neighborhood.
Residents there say they can't believe, at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday one of their own was kidnapped at gunpoint from her driveway. "It's heartbreaking because you don't know what she felt whenever it was happening," adds another woman.
One neighbor even fired shots trying to stop the kidnappers, as others called 911.
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"Upon arrival officers made contact with the victim's husband who stated his wife was leaving for work when he heard her screaming outside. The husband observed three men scuffling with his wife at which point he went outside to assist her. However, one of the suspects pointed a gun at him," explains Stafford Police Department Sgt. Luciano Lopez.
After driving away with his wife, a caller telephoned the husband, demanding $10,000 in ransom money.
"I was like I hope they get the bad dudes that took that poor lady because I bet she was frightened. She's such a nice lady. She would sometimes come over and say come and go to church with me, just a real nice lady," says another neighbor.
"It was scary. My sister texted us last night saying I can't sleep. I can't sleep thinking about her screaming and everything. So it's traumatizing for all of us," says one woman in the neighborhood.
Fortunately, one neighbor saw the pickup truck some of the kidnappers were in while investigators say others forced the woman into her own car. The vehicles were tracked with license plate readers and police arrested five people in Galveston after the woman's car was found abandoned in Sugar Land.
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"Galveston Police made the arrest for us. They located the victim laying on the floorboard of the backseat with her eyes and mouth covered, with her hands tied behind her back," explains Sgt. Lopez.
Jose Gonzalez Hernandez also known as Brayan Rodriguez Ramirez is the woman's former co-worker. They worked at a nearby meat market together. He was arrested along with his wife Claudia Elizabeth Rojas-Rivas, Pablo Mendez-Cruz, Kelvin Gustavo Cruz, and William Noe Redondo-Ramirez.
Neighbors say they celebrated with the woman's husband and daughters when she was rescued. "The girls came running over here saying we found my mom. We found my mom," smiles one neighbor as she wipes tears.
The woman who was kidnapped was taken to the hospital for treatment once officers rescued her.