CA - 4 Family Members Kidnapped From Business, Merced County, Oct 2022 *arrest*

[formerlyme]

I think it is possible mom was locked in the bathroom or a closet or something to be hands free to take care of the baby.

 

[SuziQ]

What is odd, is he could have just killed them at the business.

 

[formerlyme]

What time was the ATM used?

 

[SuziQ]

I'm thinking it is a lot of work to kidnap, load up, and drive your victims around. Why not just leave them? Imo.

 

[charminglane]

If the woman was restrained (tied up) when he left the first time, how could she have called LE? LE hasn't said she was tied up but IMO that is the only way he would have felt safe leaving her behind.

Maybe there is a panic button at the shop?
We have one at work. Hit it with my knee. Hello, LE.

 

[youngsleuther]

The suspect according to sheriff's speculation did it for money but the suspect was not the one who took money out of one of victim's credit cards.

What is odd, is he could have just killed them at the business.

This point could come here. Why didn't he just rob them and leave? What was the point of even burning down the car? Also the gap from 9:13 to 9:19 is 6 minutes away.

And the farthest distance according to map to Winton wherein the fire department was dispatched, is 21 minutes away.

Where did the suspect take them?

 

[Curiousobserver]

If the woman was restrained (tied up) when he left the first time, how could she have called LE? LE hasn't said she was tied up but IMO that is the only way he would have felt safe leaving her behind.

True enough but her getting loose and calling LE was only one of many things that could have gone wrong with this plan.

 

[perfectingpink]

Concerning where these guys commit their crime and then dispose of evidence, I keep thinking back to an FBI agent who pointed out the crime and disposal sites form a triangle. @margarita25 can you help me out with more info?

 

[Gardenista]

The suspect according to sheriff's speculation did it for money but the suspect was not the one who took money out of one of victim's credit cards.

This point could come here. Why didn't he just rob them and leave? What was the point of even burning down the car? Also the gap from 9:13 to 9:19 is 6 minutes away.

And the farthest distance according to map to Winton wherein the fire department was dispatched, is 21 minutes away.

Where did the suspect take them?

He was back in 6 minutes, so it was only 3 minutes away.

 

[Cryptic]

They are pursuing this as if "financial" is the motivation...as that was his motivation last time.

That makes sense.

@Sundog , however, raised the possibility of mixed motives that could include hate based motives. Say, the main motive is financial, but the ethnicity of the victims serves as an aggravating factor for the perpetrator. This leads to a more severe crime.

Unless he posted racist rants on social media, it could be difficult to prove the presence of mixed motives. At the same time, I think his social media postings need to be reviewed for that possibility.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

They probably thought he was a customer. In Eliza Fletcher's case, the entire abduction was caught on camera as well. Criminals can be incredibly stupid sometimes. Imo

It was also incredibly stupid for him to use an ATM machine. Everyone knows there are cameras at ATM machines.

 

[insearchoflight]

The suspect according to sheriff's speculation did it for money but the suspect was not the one who took money out of one of victim's credit cards.

This point could come here. Why didn't he just rob them and leave? What was the point of even burning down the car? Also the gap from 9:13 to 9:19 is 6 minutes away.

And the farthest distance according to map to Winton wherein the fire department was dispatched, is 21 minutes away.

Where did the suspect take them?

In the press conference they said the bank sent them the wrong video of the atm withdrawal: they sent video of a different bank location and cleared that person.

 

[charminglane]

He was back in 6 minutes, so it was only 3 minutes away.

Hand off to 2nd perp?

 

[Frankie Hellis]

Hand off to 2nd perp?

Or he put the guys in his vehicle to go back and get the mom and child. But then how did the truck get to it’s final place? There almost had to be someone else.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

I found the cousin's quote about what might have happened. The interview asked the cousin what he knew. The cousin said that the sheriff hadn't told them about the investigation. Then he said:

"So it seems like, you know, the pictures have already been released by the sheriff's office. Our cousins went into work this hour yesterday morning...they have a trucking business. At some point it seems like there was somebody outside that, you know, was picking up trash possibly. That person was let into the business to possibly to give him more trash to take with him to use for recycling and offered like (inaudible) hey, you're here, why don't we give you juice to make you whole, and it seems like somehow that whole encounter turned into a kidnapping."

So, this is what the cousin speculates might have happened based on the original pictures of the suspect released by the sheriff's office.

It is at the beginning of the interview:

 

[Ozoner]

Or he put the guys in his vehicle to go back and get the mom and child. But then how did the truck get to it’s final place? There almost had to be someone else.

I don't follow the logic completely.

He could have used the truck to dump the bodies of the victims and then driven it to where he burned it. From there he could have walked to wherever he was going.
If he caught a lift from someone, that person might not have had any involvement in the crime.

 

[Frankie Hellis]

I don't follow the logic completely.

He could have used the truck to dump the bodies of the victims and then driven it to where he burned it. From there he could have walked to wherever he was going.
If he caught a lift from someone, that person might not have had any involvement in the crime.

But before that. Between taking the men and then going back for the women. Wherever he went, it was within about 3 minutes of the business. He came back without the men to get the mom and baby. Assuming he took the mom and baby to the place where he had stashed the men, dumped them off and then travelled to where he burned the truck, it would mean they were close by the business. OTOH, he could have put them into his own vehicle, but then how to get the truck to the burning place? There are many fields of trees nearby. I assume LE has used drones. Perhaps there should be a foot search in all those fields.

 

[mst]

Very possible that mother and baby are at a second location with the plan to get more out of the men with using mom and child as a threat.

 

[legalmomma]

He was back in 6 minutes, so it was only 3 minutes away.

THIS is important. Not only just 3 min away but closer because there is time needed for unloading, handing off? or doing something with the two men.

 

[insearchoflight]

But before that. Between taking the men and then going back for the women. Wherever he went, it was within about 3 minutes of the business. He came back without the men to get the mom and baby. Assuming he took the mom and baby to the place where he had stashed the men, dumped them off and then travelled to where he burned the truck, it would mean they were close by the business. OTOH, he could have put them into his own vehicle, but then how to get the truck to the burning place? There are many fields of trees nearby. I assume LE has used drones. Perhaps there should be a foot search in all those fields.

Do we know he came back without the men? They could have been in car still restrained.