Six men allegedly kidnapped two people at vacation resort, tortured them at boat ramp
Six men allegedly kidnapped two people at a Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort in Florida and tortured them, according to officials.
The incident took place starting on the night of May 29 at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort with one of the suspects “pressuring” a victim as well as a witness to go to a car show in a remote part of Broward County, Florida, according to a recently unsealed court document. Saul Alfonso Fajardo, 19, Justin Phihoang Le, 20, Amari Tamire Hill, 21, Anthony Teruel Hernandez, 18, Marikevies McNichols Jr., 19, and Weilen Hernandez, 20, were charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Two victims, who weren’t identified in court documents, allegedly met up with “Saul” at the Margaritaville parking garage as well as a female suspect. After getting to the parking garage, the two victims were forced into two cars at gunpoint by several people, according to court documents.
Officials said that Hill slammed one of the victims onto a car and forced him into the passenger seat. Phihoang then allegedly told the victim “If you try to get out, I’m going to end your life,” further saying “I am going to kill you and your family.” The victim complied, fearing for his life.
An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that all people were armed with semiautomatic weapons and were wearing “shiesty” masks with latex gloves on.
The other victim was forced into a separate car, according to the documents.
The complaint states that Phihoang allegedly demanded that one of the victims give him money if he wanted to live, then forced him to call friends to try to get the money.
“If I don’t get my money, every 10 minutes I’m going to take one of your fingernails,” Phihoang allegedly told the victim.
The victim “observed a pair of pliers inside the car and believed they were going to pull his fingernails off, so he continued calling people in an attempt to get money,” according to the criminal complaint. The victim in the other car was allegedly held at gunpoint.
Both victims would be taken to a location one of the suspects referred to as “the spot,” which was the West Broward Boat Ramp.
Once they were there, the FBI agent said both victims were “forced to kneel at gunpoint,” adding that one of the suspects saw a tattoo on a victim. The two were allegedly robbed of their personal belongings, including phones, jewelry, clothing and other personal items. One of the victims was allegedly forced to send $400 through Zelle.
“I’m gonna burn the tattoo off of you, you don’t deserve to have it. I’m going to torture you,” Phihoang allegedly said.
“Don’t cry,” he allegedly said. “I will kill your family if you go to the police. We are not done.”
The suspects even forced the two victims to strip in their underwear while demanding money, according to the complaint, which added that Hill fired a round into the air while he was on a video call “in an attempt to let the person on the phone know they were serious.”
The suspects at one point became concerned that the second victim’s ankle monitor could disclose their location to police, and allegedly dropped him off within a subdivision of Cooper City, where the victim walked to a relative’s home in nothing but underwear.
The other victim allegedly observed the suspects “burning something” at the boat ramp, then heard someone say “We have to burn the evidence,” according to the FBI agent. That’s when the victim, “in fear for his life,” began faking a seizure.
After the suspects put the victim into a car, one of the men “began to panic” and threw the victim out of the car, where he made his way to safety.
Authorities allegedly recovered burned clothing and more of the victims’ items at the boat ramp, as well as surveillance videos.
Messages between the unidentified female suspect and Fajardo allegedly confirm that the first victim was assaulted.
“He got jump injuries,” one of the messages read. “DELETE INSTA.”
Fox News Digital reached out to lawyers for all suspects named for comment.
