An American judge was caught in a hostage situation after hiring 2 prostitutes in Brazil.
The unnamed judge was vacationing in Rio De Janeiro, one of the hottest tourist spots in the country, on July 3. He had rented out an apartment in the Copocabana sector for his trip. According to Brazilian authorities, it wasn’t the judge’s first trip to the beaches of the country, and he had become familiar with some of the locals.
Related: Gone Girl IRL! California Mom Charged After Allegedly Faking Her Kidnapping!
Two of the locals he had come to know, Shayna Monteiro and Beatriz Freitas, were prostitutes that the American man had previously entertained on some of his numerous trips to the country. The two women were invited back to the magistrate’s apartment for the night and agreed to go with him. According to CCTV footage, they left the complex around 11:30 a.m. on July 4. Things seemed to be going well, but they would quickly take a turn for the worse…
An hour later, around 12:30 p.m., the two women returned to the judge’s apartment — but this time they weren’t alone. Per the reports, they were accompanied by two men when they returned to the complex. The two men were identified as Erivaldo da Silva and Alef dos Santos. This is where things start getting crazy!
Once inside the apartment, the men claimed they were part of the Civil Police Force. They told the jurist that the women he presumably had sex with just hours earlier were underage! Yikes!
The two men allegedly kidnapped their victim and called a friend of his who lived in the city, letting her know that they had placed the judge under arrest and were taking him to a police station in northern Rio. They also demanded a ransom for his release — a whopping $36,000!
Luckily, the good friend acted fast and contacted a member of the local military police department. The PD got the assistance of a kidnapping unit, and through tough negotiation were able to agree to meet Erivaldo and Alef in exchange for the ransom. Did they really think they’d get away with meeting the cops face-to-face and not face any consequences? Hmm…
Only one of the men went back, though! Da Silva arrived back at the Copocabana to collect the money but was promptly (and predictably) arrested by police. He agreed to cooperate and lead law enforcement where they had been keeping the judge hidden. Thankfully, he was alright and was able to be rescued unharmed.
Whew!
The arrested offender has been identified as the leader of a gang that operates in West Rio and was on parole for serving 24 percent of a 15-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and criminal association. He was also charged with extortion and kidnapping for this incident. Charges for his partner and the two prostitutes are still pending, as they haven’t been detained yet. Police are still asking for anyone that sees them to contact them immediately.
In a bigger bombshell — two other men are still missing from dos Santos and da Silva’s kidnapping spree! Both were taken from the same building that the American justice was staying in! It’s unclear whether Monteiro and Freitas had any connection with the other kidnappings, but hopefully the other victims are found soon.
A State Department spokesperson talked to DailyMail about the incident, saying they’re not allowed to speak more on the case:
“The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. We are aware of these reports. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”
We’re so glad the judge made it out of the scary situation safely! But maybe don’t invite two random men into your apartment — even if they arrived with some old friends! You never know who you’re dealing with! Does anyone remember the rule “stranger danger”?
[Image via Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios/Touchstone Pictures]
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