Man found guilty of kidnapping couple at gunpoint, forcing them to repeatedly send money on Cashapp
What started out as a marijuana deal in late 2021 turned into a ransom negotiation that was broken up by police in a motel outside Philadelphia — and now an alleged kidnapper is heading to state prison, prosecutors say.
Eric Alamo, 49, of Philadelphia was found guilty of kidnapping, robbery and other offenses after a jury trial, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.
In November 2021, a man arrived at Alamo's apartment to sell him marijuana, but was soon placed in restraints, Assistant District Attorney Kyle Russell, who prosecuted the trial, said in a news conference.
The victim was duct-taped to a chair, pistol-whipped and hit with the broad side of a knife, which left him with cuts.
Russell said Alamo then forced the man at gunpoint into a car and told him to call his wife. On the call, the victim was told to ask his wife to bring all their cash and valuables and meet him at a location in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.
The wife agreed to meet Alamo but luckily told her sister about what she was planning to do — a move that may have saved her and her husband's lives, according to Russell.
"He then took everything she had and then forced her to go to an ATM and withdraw a significant amount of cash," Russell said. "He then threw the complainant's wife inside the car with the other complainant, who was still duct-taped by the hands."
Then Alamo drove them outside the city to the Lincoln Hotel on Route 1 in Bensalem, where he had been staying.
Once there, Russell said the male victim was thrown into the bathtub while still duct-taped, and Alamo forced the victim's wife to continuously send Cashapp transactions for more money.
During that time, the wife's sister called Bensalem Police for a wellness check. Officers later arrived and knocked at the door of the hotel room.
"They knocked on the door...the door didn't open for a few minutes," Russell said. "When they opened the door, the first thing the Bensalem police see is the complainant whispering 'help me.'"
Police found duct tape at the scene that had Alamo's DNA on it — and the victim's DNA on the sticky side.
Alamo will be sentenced at a later date. Court documents did not indicate when that would be.
"I'm very pleased that the victims can now put what happened in 2021 behind them, I'm also very happy that Mr. Alamo will be held accountable for that night," Russell said.
He credited the Philadelphia Police Special Victims Unit and Bensalem Police for "their excellent investigation in this matter."
CBS Philadelphia reached out for a comment from the attorney listed for Alamo in court documents, and will update this article if we hear back.