According to police, a Florida woman was arrested and charged with impersonating a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official in order to kidnap a woman married to her ex-boyfriend.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Miami Herald, on Thursday, April 10, Latrance Battle, 52, entered a hotel chain where the woman, whose identity was not released, worked.
Battle approached the woman and claimed that she was there to detain her, according to a statement shared on Facebook by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities claimed she was wearing “a black shirt with ICE printed on the front” and showed the woman a business card from the sheriff’s office to prove her affiliation with the government agency. According to the statement, Battle allegedly carried a “hand-held radio.”
According to police, the woman, who “is in the process of becoming a legal United States resident,” believed Battle to be a legitimate agent and “went willingly” with her.
Police said the woman tried to contact her lawyer and husband while in the car. However, Battle allegedly “forcefully snatched” her phone.
Battle informed the woman that they were going to the sheriff’s office. According to police, she claimed she realized she was being kidnapped when Battle took her to Bridge Plaza Apartments.
According to the Miami Herald, Battle also allegedly told the woman that she now had “to suffer the consequences of her husband’s actions.”
The woman was able to safely escape with the assistance of a neighbor, and she informed the police and her husband, according to the Miami Herald.
Police arrested Battle on Friday, April 11. She was allegedly fleeing to Alabama when she was apprehended.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office shared a video of the arrest. It shows officers approaching Battle’s car and repeatedly asking her to open the door.
After several attempts, they open it, and she exits the vehicle with her hands raised.
Battle is charged with multiple felonies, including kidnapping, robbery by sudden snatching, impersonating a law enforcement officer in the commission of a felony, and probation violation.
PEOPLE contacted the Bay County Police Department for additional comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
