Four individuals have been indicted on federal kidnapping charges after allegedly abducting and assaulting their roommate for two days in Denver’s Westwood neighborhood. The incident, which included the victim having his finger cut off, took place in the 500 block of South Hazel Court on October 16 and 17.
Jose Pineda-Moreno, 19, and Darwin Veliz-Gonzalez, 34, were taken into custody on suspicion of kidnapping, assault, and criminal extortion following the victim’s report to Denver police. While there are no records of cases against Pineda-Moreno and Veliz-Gonzalez in state courts, a federal grand jury indictment was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver on March 5, naming both individuals.
Two other individuals, Jefferson Balza-Delfin and Yender Enrique Campos-Malave, were also indicted on a charge of kidnapping in connection to the case. Pineda-Moreno, one of the suspects, has been identified as being from Venezuela and being associated with a gang, as per court records. Details regarding the backgrounds of the other three individuals were not readily available.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado has chosen not to comment on the case, while a representative for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Denver field office has referred inquiries to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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