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Miami Mother and Two Others Plead Guilty to Hostage Taking
Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, Sheriff Al Lamberti, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and Director Robert L. Parker, Miami-Dade Police Department, announced today that defendants Alejandra Arriaza, 39, Angel Ponce, 38, and Joel Boza, 29, all of Miami, pled guilty to hostage taking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1203. Each defendant faces a possible sentence of up to life imprisonment. Sentencing for Arriaza is scheduled for September 29, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. Sentencing for Ponce and Boza is scheduled for September 30, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., respectively.
Based on information from in-court statements and filings with the Court, on April 9, 2009, defendant Alejandra Arriaza, along with co-defendants Angel Ponce and Joel Boza, planned her own kidnapping and that of her 17-year-old son (N.P.). Pursuant to the kidnapping plan, Ponce and Boza would act as the kidnappers, and demand the payment of ransom from Arriaza’s ex-husband, and father to N.P., for the release of Arriaza and N.P. To execute the kidnapping plan, Arriaza lured N.P. away from his father by promising to buy him an iPhone.
In furtherance of the plan, Arriaza drove N.P. to a Wal-Mart store, leaving her car unlocked to facilitate Ponce’s entry into the car. Thus, when Arriaza and her son left the store and drove away, defendant Ponce was hiding in the backseat of the car. While the two were driving in the vehicle, Ponce appeared from the backseat holding what appeared to be a gun, and announced the kidnapping. Ponce then placed thick tape over N.P.’s eyes. Arriaza drove to Ponce’s house, where defendant Boza tied N.P. to a chair and wrapped tape around N.P.’s head. The defendants then placed N.P. in a closet overnight, where he was held hostage. The next day, defendants Ponce and Boza purchased two cellular telephones, placed one inside defendant Arriaza’s ex-husband’s car, and used it to communicate their ransom demand to the ex-husband.
In order to convince Arriaza’s ex-husband of the gravity of the situation, Boza used a blow torch to threaten N.P. and ensured that N.P. communicated this to his father. Boza placed the lit blow torch so close to N.P.’s leg that it burned off the hair. At all times, defendant Arriaza was actively participating in the scheme.
As the investigation progressed, the FBI, the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Miami-Dade Police Department located the house where N.P. was being held hostage. Law enforcement entered the home and rescued N.P. All the defendants, including Arriaza, admitted their involvement in the scheme.
Mr. Sloman commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, and the Miami-Dade Police Department for their joint efforts in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Gilfarb.
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