Brother and sister accused of kidnapping woman and baby daughter after family refused to give them $1m

Yahoo

02-05-2025

A brother and sister are in police custody for allegedly kidnapping a mother and her baby in North Carolina after the family refused to give them $1 million, police said.
Miguel Angel Duran Duran, 23, and Paola Duran Duran, 25, were arrested on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after they broke into a home in Garner and made the alleged demands.
According to the Garner Police Department, three masked suspects armed with guns, two men and a woman, broke into the home of Eliuth Alejandro Martinez late Monday night.
A third suspect, Eleodoro "Leo" Estrada-Hernandez, 37, remains at large, according to the FBI, who has issued a $10,000 reward for his capture. His status was not clear.
When Martinez allegedly refused to hand over the money, the suspects tied him up with duct tape and kidnapped his wife, Alondra Michelle Benitez De Jesus, 26, and their 11-month-old daughter, Grecia Salome Alejandro-Benitez, and then sped off in a black Nissan Altima, police said.
Early the next morning, the kidnappers released the mother and baby, who fled to a nearby home in Wake Forest where the homeowner called 911.
The siblings were tracked down later that same day following a joint effort by the local police, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.
They both now face two felony counts of first-degree kidnapping and one felony count of second-degree kidnapping.
They appeared on video from jail Wednesday where the judge informed them that they could receive at least 231 months in prison if convicted of the charges.
The siblings, who are being held on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (detainers and are believed to be Mexican citizens, were denied bond as they are considered flight risks, according to police.
Estrada-Hernandez, meanwhile, has been charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping, one count of second-degree kidnapping, one count possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of assault by pointing a firearm.
He is described as five-foot-four, approximately 190 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He has multiple tattoos on his forearm and was last seen wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans.
The Duran Duran siblings are expected to be back in court on May 16.