Stafford woman kidnapped; former coworker, 4 other suspects arrested
STAFFORD, Texas - A woman was kidnapped outside of her Stafford home while leaving for work on Wednesday morning, police say.
According to the Stafford Police Department, the woman was rescued after a multi-agency investigation, and five suspects – including her former coworker – were arrested.
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The incident began around 6 a.m. in the 1700 block of Pecan Lane.
According to police, someone first called to report a woman screaming and shots fired, then someone else called to report that his neighbor’s wife had been kidnapped.
Officers responded to the scene and spoke with the woman’s husband. Police say the husband stated that his wife was leaving for work when he heard screaming outside. He went out to help, but one of the suspects pointed a gun at him, police say.
Another neighbor told police that they saw several men attack the woman and force her into her own vehicle. Police say the neighbor went outside and fired two warning shots in an attempt to scare the attackers away.
Shortly after the kidnapping, police say the husband got a call from a private number, and someone demanded ransom.
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Stafford police requested assistance from the FBI.
A neighbor told police that they saw a black Ram pickup truck parked nearby around the time of the incident. Police say they were able to locate the truck on camera traveling with the woman’s stolen vehicle. According to police, the truck was connected to a man who worked at the same place as the victim.
Police say the investigation led to the Sugar Land Police Department finding the woman’s abandoned vehicle.
The investigation then led police to East Beach in Galveston. Stafford PD says the Galveston Police Department was able to locate the Ram pickup truck on East Beach with one man in the driver’s seat and two men standing nearby.
SPD say Galveston police moved in and found the woman tied up on the floorboard of the truck with her eyes and mouth covered.
In total, five people were arrested. The woman taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
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Police say the suspects include the victim’s former coworker Jose Gonzalez Hernandez, also known as Brian Rodriguez Ramirez, and his wife Claudia Elizabeth Rojas-Rivas. The other suspects were identified as Pablo Mendez-Cruz, Kelvin Gustavo Cruz, and Williams Noe Redondo-Ramirez.
The suspects were booked into the Galveston County Jail and will be transferred to the Fort Bend County Jail.