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Police are searching for two people who might have been kidnapped from downtown for ransom.
What exactly is going on is a little fuzzy: there are conflicting news reports and the LAPD wasn't offering any comment on the case this morning when we called. But NBC Los Angeles reports that police received a report around 8:40 p.m. last night from a family saying that they had received a call demanding $16,000 for the safe return of two family members. The alleged kidnapping took place at 7th and Alameda streets downtown. The Los Angeles Times says police are investigating whether the case could be a human smuggling deal gone bad.
LAPD Sgt. Gia Rueda told the Times, "The person reporting it believed that they were headed back to Mexico."
The family met with police in the McDonald's parking lot at Alameda and 7th where an exchange was supposed to take place, but the two victims are still unaccounted for as of this morning:
#LAPD investigating kidnapping in #DTLA. "Kidnap for ransom" victim located pic.twitter.com/QsWzptH1NI
— Julie Sone (@ABC7JulieSone) October 9, 2014
Police are still looking for the suspect who is believed to be driving a 1980s BMW with a red roof and rims. He is described as a Hispanic man in his early 20s, 5-foot-5-inches tall and weighing about 165 pounds. He was wearing a blue Monster Energy hat, a red-striped sweater and blue jeans.
