A 30-year-old woman has been arrested on the Spanish island of Tenerife after she allegedly faked her own kidnapping four times to extort her mother.
The woman allegedly sent her mother a video earlier this week that showed her blindfolded and smeared with blood. In the clip shared by the Civil Guard, a man is seen behind her with a knife.
The woman is seen crying for help in the video, saying: “Mommy. They’ve kidnapped me. You can’t say anything to the police. If you do, they’ll kill me.”
She goes on to say how her captors beat her and deprived her of food.
According to a statement by the Civil Guard, she told her mother the kidnappers would release her for 50,000 euros
This was not the first time the woman’s mother received such a disturbing message.
Detenida en Tenerife tras simular su secuestro y exigirle a su madre 50.000 euros para su liberación.
La víctima recibió un vídeo en el que su hija aparecía amordazada y con sangre falsa, en el que pedía llorando que pagaran la cantidad exigida por sus supuestos secuestradores. pic.twitter.com/Bg3reqHest
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) September 5, 2022
Investigators later found out that the mother previously made three payments totalling $45,000, also in response to threats on her daughter’s life.
Police discovered the evil plot after investigating the daughter’s partner, whose family was also involved in the kidnapping plot.
Within 24 hours of the initial investigation, authorities discovered that the daughter was unharmed and free to leave.
Police confirmed the arrest of the daughter and four co-conspirators at a slot-machine casino on September 5. Civil Guard officers reportedly found the fake blood and knife used in the video with the group.
All five face charges of extortion, among other offences.
An update in the Tenerife Weekly said three of the five had since been released.
If convicted, the group faces at least one to five years in prison.
