Another teen arrested in extortion & kidnapping investigation
A 17-year-old from Oasis was arrested Wednesday morning for his alleged connection to a case of kidnapping, carjacking and armed robbery that took place on September 17.
The teenager is the fourth suspect arrested for the crimes which occurred in the unincorporated community of Oasis. His name isn’t being released because he’s a minor.
The 17-year-old was taken into custody at 10 a.m. after deputies found him attempting to burglarize a home in the area of Avenue 52 and Primitive Drive in Coachella.
He was arrested and booked into Indio Juvenile Hall for kidnapping, carjacking and armed robbery, according to the sheriff’s department. He was also booked for attempted burglary.
The suspect was on the run after law enforcement seized more than a dozen firearms and arrested four other people following a series of search warrants issued during an investigation of what police are calling an “extensive extortion, assault, armed-robbery, and kidnapping for ransom investigation.”
The initial incident involved an adult who was apparently kidnapped, robbed at gunpoint and assaulted at an unknown location on Sept. 17. The victim was from Oasis, an unincorporated area of Riverside County south of Coachella on the northwestern edge of the Salton Sea.
Following an investigation into the incident, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team, along with the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force, the Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force, and specialized units from the Sheriff’s Thermal Station served three search warrants in the early morning of September 17, which lead to the arrest of four people, including a 16-year-old.
The most serious charges alleged are against the 16-year old from Oasis, who was booked into the Indio Juvenile Hall on suspicion of kidnapping for ransom, carjacking, armed-robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and extortion. The juvenile’s name hasn’t been released due to his age.
Albin Tadeo, 18, and Jesus Tadeo, 21, both from Oasis, are accused of victim and witness intimidation.
Fernando Chavez, 26, also from Oasis, was arrested and booked into the Indio Jail for possession of methamphetamine for sale, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm while selling narcotics.
According to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, six rifles, six handguns, one shotgun, five high-capacity magazines, a stolen firearm, numerous rounds of ammunition, gang indicia, a large sum of US currency, and items consistent with the sales of narcotics were all confiscated.
Anyone with additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Deputy Jose Munoz, or Deputy James Knudson of the Coachella Valley Community Services District Team at (760) 863-8990, or Valley Crime stoppers at (760) 341-STOP (7867)
