HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Four people have been charged for their alleged roles in a violent kidnapping of a contractor in east Harris County.
Three of them have been arrested so far.
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On Jan. 29, Erica Gusman, 17, arrived at a home in the 200 block of Wood Loop Street after agreeing to meet a man she met on an online dating website, according to court records.
When Gusman arrived, she was with another juvenile girl, according to the records.
The man let the girls into his home and took Gusman to his bedroom to have sex, court records said.
During this time, the man heard noise in his kitchen and went to investigate. He found three masked men in his kitchen taking his property, according to court records.
One of the men pointed a gun at the homeowner's head, prompting a struggle for the gun, court records indicate.
The three masked men and two girls then left with the man's iPad and a computer, according to court documents. They were driving a black Toyota Camry.
After they left, the homeowner realized the contractor who was working on his house was gone.
The contractor told police that while he was working at the home, he went to get tools out of his vehicle when he was approached by three men who pointed a gun at his head and forced him into the trunk of a vehicle, according to court records.
The vehicle began to travel while he was in the trunk, but the contractor was able to break the trunk open and call police, court records say.
Authorities were able to identify Gusman, a juvenile girl, Mario Puentes (one of the masked males) and John Ybarbo (also masked). They were found at Puentes' residence about four to six hours after the robbery and kidnapping, according to court records.
The stolen computer and a handgun were found in Puentes' bedroom, according to court documents. A stolen black Camry was found outside.
They each voluntarily confessed to the crimes, according to court records.
They also identified the other masked man as 17-year-old Julian Atkinson.
Gusman was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Ybarbo, 17, and Puentes, 20, were both arrested and charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping.
A warrant has been issued for Atkinson, who is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated kidnapping.