Police in Nevada say a man claiming to be a member of “the Cartel” kidnapped three boys from a park before taking them to his home, beating them up, and forcing them under a crawl space.
Guillermo Aboytes Saavedra, 23, is facing a number of charges, including robbery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and child abuse.
The incident occurred around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, when the sister of one of the victims called the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office after learning he was receiving threats, according to a press release. Deputies responded to the 200 block of Johnson Lane in Fernley, which is approximately 30 miles east of Reno.
Around the time deputies arrived, the agency’s dispatch center began receiving calls from the victim, who reported that he and two other boys had been kidnapped and were trapped in a crawl space. Deputies checked the boy’s phone and began searching the area. Deputies arrived at the suspect’s home shortly before 7 p.m. and rescued the boys from the crawl space.
Saavedra allegedly beat two of the boys with a wooded rake handle and scythe, causing “substantial injuries”. The boys later told police that they were on the swings at a park when the suspect “came out of nowhere” with his fists balled up. He informed the boys that he “was a member of the Cartel.” Saavedra then allegedly slapped one of the boys in the face and said, “He was not scared of jail, and if he went to jail, he was going to kill them.”
“The juvenile stated that Saavedra then told them they were going to go for a walk and to act normal and not look at any cars,” according to the police.
According to cops, he forced them down an alleyway before making them hop a fence that led to his backyard. Saavedra allegedly had one of the juveniles record him while beating the teens. They were “continually removed from the crawl space and beaten,” according to police.
After being rescued, the three teenagers were transported to the hospital. Saavedra remains in the Lyon County Jail on a bond of nearly $1 million.
