Suspects Allegedly Abducted Man at Gunpoint, Drove Him to Multiple Banks
Two men have been arrested and formally charged in connection with the armed kidnapping and robbery of a man who was forced to withdraw money from multiple bank locations earlier this month, the Culver City Police Department announced on Thursday.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of May 13, when a victim reported to police that he had been abducted outside a business in the 3800 block of Midway Avenue. According to the report, the man was walking to his vehicle when a suspect in a silver SUV confronted him. The SUV’s front passenger pointed a handgun at the victim and ordered him into the vehicle.
Once inside, the suspects drove the victim to a bank on Palms Boulevard and coerced him into making several cash withdrawals. The suspects allegedly attempted to obtain more money by pressuring the victim to request a loan and contact a friend, before returning to the bank for additional ATM transactions. The total amount stolen was $540.
The suspects later released the victim in a nearby residential neighborhood, warning him not to contact police. However, the victim immediately reported the incident to the Culver City Police Department, prompting an investigation by detectives.
On May 27, Culver City’s Crime Impact Team (CIT) tracked the suspects to a motel in Castaic. At approximately 11:20 a.m., two men matching the victim’s descriptions were located and detained during a high-risk traffic stop on the Newhall Ranch Road offramp along Interstate 5.
The suspects, identified as 23-year-old Franzezo Dumitru of Washington State and 21-year-old Stan Eduardo of New York, were taken into custody without incident and booked into the Culver City Police Department Jail. On May 29, both were formally charged with violating Penal Code 209(a): Kidnapping for Ransom or Robbery.
