Preliminary hearings have been set for Jan. 29 for two Guatemalan men charged with kidnapping two other Guatemalans living in Arkansas City.
Amarildo Estrada-Barrios, 19, and Juan Carreto-Cojolon, 30, are being held in the Cowley County jail in lieu of bond.
The two shared an apartment with the victims, who claim they were kidnapped by two masked men and then held at knifepoint as they left the Wal-Mart parking lot Jan. 2 in the victims’ car.
One of the victims suffered a knife wound to the hand when he allegedly fought the kidnappers and escaped. The car struck a wall at Riverside Cemetery and the two kidnappers fled. They were later arrested at the apartment the four people shared.
Aggravated kidnapping is a severity level one-person felony. The penalty ranges from 138 months to 204 months in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Each man is charged with two counts.
The victims told police they know of no reason why the men kidnapped them. The men claimed they were playing a joke on them.
