Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging a 37-year-old Jaddier Thomas Sanchez with kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and her parents at gunpoint from their Pembroke Pines home earlier this month.
The criminal complaint affidavit alleges the following against Jaddier Thomas Sanchez: Around midnight on January 17, 2020, as the parents of Sanchez’s ex-girlfriend arrived in their truck at their Pembroke Pines home and attempted to go inside, Sanchez appeared with a gun in his hand. Sanchez grabbed the mother by the hair, forced the father into the driver’s seat of their truck, and forced the mother into the back seat, where Sanchez sat beside her, says the affidavit.
With firearm in hand, Sanchez forced the father to drive to several local ATM machines and withdraw thousands of dollars from the couples’ bank accounts.
Then, Sanchez directed the couple to drive back to their house for their daughter, whom the defendant had earlier dated for about a month. As with the parents, Sanchez forced his ex-girlfriend into the truck, according to the affidavit.
They drove north for several hours, at Sanchez’ direction. Once they reached Belle Glade, Florida, Sanchez left the parents on the side of a road, with their hands and feet bound. Sanchez continued to drive across Florida with the ex-girlfriend, whom he repeatedly hit in the face and threatened to kill, according to the affidavit.
On January 18, 2020, police in Alexandria, Virginia stopped the vehicle with Sanchez and the victim inside. Police arrested Sanchez. He has been in law enforcement custody since then.
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and its Violent Crimes Task Force investigated the case with assistance from FBI Washington Field Office, Pembroke Pines Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, and Fairfax County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brooke Latta and Francis Viamontes are prosecuting this federal case. Sanchez also faces state charges in Virginia and Florida.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted in this federal kidnapping case, Sanchez faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.