Deputies: Kidnapped Texas man saved in traffic stop after being held for ransom
MISSION, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Deputies in Texas rescued a man who had allegedly been kidnapped and held for ransom, according to a criminal complaint.
According to the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office, the rescue followed a traffic stop on the suspect who had the man in his truck.
Mateo Garza, 46, of Rio Grande City, was arrested Wednesday on charges of aggravated kidnapping for ransom/reward, Hidalgo County Jail records show.
The criminal complaint details how deputies responded to the 3500 block of Serenidad Avenue in Mission in reference to a kidnapping. There, deputies made contact with a man who said his mother was receiving calls for a ransom of $3,000 in exchange for her son, authorities allege.
The man told deputies he made contact with the suspect and agreed to pay the ransom for his brother's release, the complaint stated. Deputies were informed that a truck arrived with the victim and the direction that it left.
"Sheriff's Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the defendant's vehicle, rescued [the victim], and placed the defendant under arrest," the complaint stated.
The victim told investigators he had been beaten and held against his will.
Garza was booked Wednesday into the Hidalgo County Jail. Records show his bond was set at $75,000.