In August 2015, a notable incident occurred involving four Florida high school students. Allegedly, they were involved in the carjacking and kidnapping of a federal agent who was vacationing with his family in Orlando. The suspects, aged between 15 and 19, were apprehended by law enforcement.
Armando Alaniz, a federal Bureau of Customs and Border Protection employee, was vacationing with his family in the International Drive tourist area when he was reportedly confronted at gunpoint while packing his car. Subsequently, Alaniz was assaulted, bound, and placed in the backseat of his vehicle. Additionally, he was robbed of his wallet.
The suspects, identified as Gregory McDonald (19 according to Fox News, 18 according to the Orlando Sentinel), Dante Askins (18), and two others aged 15 and 16, allegedly drove around with the abducted agent for approximately two hours until his wife managed to contact the vehicle using OnStar. The suspects then abandoned the SUV at a vacant drug house and fled the scene, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Jerry Demings stated, ‘The OnStar representative placed a call to the vehicle and heard someone screaming for help.’
Askins, reportedly a gang member, was arrested. Records indicate that he was found driving a stolen car less than a mile from the previous night’s incident.
The carjacking and kidnapping marked Askin’s sixth arrest.
One of the younger suspects, aged 15, surrendered at Orange County sheriff’s headquarters with his parents, while the 16-year-old suspect was apprehended shortly after. McDonald was arrested soon after, as per Demings.
‘These high school students were playing a dangerous game, and they got caught playing a dangerous game,’ Demings said. ‘If you are coming to our community with criminal intent, we want you to think twice about it.’
All four suspects face charges of armed kidnapping, carjacking, and aggravated battery with a firearm.
The younger suspects are held at the state Juvenile Detention Center in Orlando, while Askins remains in custody without bail at the Orange County Jail, according to Orlando Sentinel. McDonald’s current location of detention is unclear.
Detectives are investigating whether all suspects have ties to gangs, added Demings. He also noted that increased patrols will be maintained in the International Drive tourist area.
After the suspects abandoned the vehicle with Alaniz inside, the agent managed to free himself from his restraints. He later received medical attention for a scalp wound sustained during the assault.
Source: FOX News, Orlando Sentinel
Leave a Reply