A federal grand jury has indicted six undocumented immigrants in a 14-count indictment alleging conspiracy, hostage taking and gun crimes, for abducting a woman and her 2-year-old daughter in Columbus in December 2009.
The indictment charges each of the six defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, hostage taking, six counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and six counts of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Named in the indictment are:
- Martin Valdez Zavala, 21, a Mexican national,
- Matias Gallegos-Villagomez, 24, a Mexican national,
- Augustin Galvin-Garcia, aka Pedro Rodriguez Solano, 40, a Mexican national,
- Guadalupe Villa-Rodriguez, 30, a Mexican national,
- Mauricio Martinez-Diaz, 28, a Salvadoran national,
- Jorge Toledo-Corzo, 28, a Mexican national.
All six are in custody.
The indictment alleges that the defendants kidnapped the wife and child of a Columbus man in December 2009 in an attempt to recover an alleged drug debt. Columbus police became aware of the plot and made a vehicle stop on two cars, which contained the defendants, leaving a residence where the mother and child were being held.
Columbus-based Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents were contacted by Columbus police to conduct a federal investigation. HSI and ATF agents obtained witness testimony, physical and DNA evidence, and identified the suspects as illegal aliens, which led to the federal indictment.
Following the current criminal charges, the defendants will also be placed in removal proceedings.
An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants should be presumed innocent unless convicted in court.
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