On September 18th, three men kidnapped a 17-year-old boy near San Bernardino, California, later sending a demand for a $500-thousand ransom to his mother. The kidnappers forced the teen to read a scripted message hinting that something the teen’s father had done led to the kidnapping. When the ransom went unpaid, the kidnappers threatened to cut off the boy’s body parts and later reduced the ransom demand to $100,000.
With help from local police, the FBI was able to track the suspects to a motel in Santa Maria, California. Then on Friday (September 22nd), law enforcement stormed the room and found the three suspects and the teen. "Together with the FBI and our local law enforcement partners, we have acted swiftly to rescue the victim and bring the abductors to justice," reports U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
The teen was unharmed in the incident and was soon reunited with his grateful and relieved family. The three suspects are now facing multiple felonies including kidnapping, which carries the possibility of a life sentence.
Source:Â CBS NEWS