Brothers plead guilty to holding three hostage in Escondido home
ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Two brothers from Guatemala are facing the possibility of life in prison after pleading guilty to holding three people hostage in a North County home.
According to U.S. attorney Tara McGrath’s office, Virves Pablo-Francisco, 22, admitted in federal court Tuesday to kidnapping three unauthorized immigrants and holding them for ransom. His brother, 20-year-old Nicolas Pablo-Francisco, admitted to similar charges in back February.
One of the victims included a boy from Afghanistan, 16, along with a father and son from Ecuador.
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Virves admitted in his plea agreement to abducting the three immigrants with his brother and others in June 2023. They were kept inside an Escondido home while the defendants demanded ransom payments from their families, the attorney’s office explained. The ransom amounts ranged between $4,000 and $10,000 per person.
Additionally, court records show that Virves also admitted to withholding food and water from the father and son, telling them “they were required to pay extra if they wanted to eat.” Nicolas also pled guilty to these acts of ransom.
Federal authorities were made aware of the abductions after the defendants contacted the 16-year-old’s family member in the U.S. and demanded money. That family member then contacted law enforcement.
From there, an overnight, multi-agency effort ensued to locate the boy and identify his kidnappers, said the attorney’s office. This included the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force with support from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
That following morning, authorities had identified a residence in Escondido where they suspected the boy was being held. The U.S. attorney’s office said it then assisted FBI agents with obtaining a federal search warrant for the residence, which was then executed.
Authorities located Nicolas inside the home, along with the three hostages, and arrested him. Virves was also taken into custody a short time later after a warrant for his arrest was issued.
“These victims are safe because a family member was brave enough to seek help from law enforcement officials,” said U.S. attorney McGrath. “Always report crime. We are standing by to hold those accountable who commit crimes, and to support victims and their families. Also, I urge anyone who is considering a dangerous journey into the United States: Please don’t risk your life by trusting smugglers. It could be a very costly mistake.”
The Guatemalan brothers are now facing up to life in prison for taking hostages and another five years for harboring unauthorized immigrants. Their sentencing is scheduled for May 6, 2024.
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