Phoenix, kidnap-for-ransom capital

Los Angeles Times ^ | 2/12/09 | Sam Quinones

[FeliciaCat]

Reporting from Phoenix -- In broad daylight one January afternoon, on a street of ranch-style houses with kidney-shaped swimming pools, Juan Francisco Perez-Torres was kidnapped in front of his wife, daughter and three neighbors.

Two men with a gun grabbed the 34-year-old from his van and dragged him 50 yards to a waiting SUV. His wife threw rocks at the car, then gave chase in her own SUV. Neighbors in northwest Phoenix called police. Yet when police found her later, she at first denied there was a problem.

[COBOL2Java]

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you, courtesy of our immigration policies...

[Badeye]

Not where I’m at. This is happing in large urban areas, almost exclusively.

Out here, in redneck heaven? No chance. Even the ‘neck that hates you will open fire on your behalf.

Of course, it’ll cost ya a case of Bud, and half a pig afterwards...(chuckle)

[theDentist]

Yeah, but our kidnappings will be to come up with enough money to pay the confiscatory taxes Obama has planned for us.

[poobear]

God I love Ohioans! Your FReep page reads like your a cousin of the Motor City Madman!!

[WayneS]

One should not take rocks to a gun fight.

[geezerwheezer]

And six chickens and 20 lbs. of good hamburger meat (or venison)

[tvdog12345]

Indeed, most every other crime here is down. But police received 366 kidnapping-for-ransom reports last year, and 359 in 2007. Police estimate twice that number go unreported.

In September, police spun off a separate detective unit to handle only these smuggling-related kidnappings and home-invasion robberies.

Kidnapping and home invasion. But "every other crime is down." I guess there's a lot less shoplifting in Phoenix than there used to be.

[BradyLS]

They’ve certainly moved on to the ones that “pay.”

[Pontiac]

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you, courtesy of our Drug and immigration policies...

With out the illegal drug trade there would be no incentive to kidnap these people.

[Badeye]

Well...thanks PB.

[poobear]

Quite welcome.

I sold retirement homes in Central Florida during the 80’s and I loved when the folks from Ohio came down. Really put a damper in those obnoxious folks from the northeast!

Carry on!

[Badeye]

We’re a tad messy, but fun at parties...(chuckle)

[poobear]

LOL! You have no idea!