A 14-year-old child was kidnapped for ransom over a $500 drug debt in Reading, Pennsylvania. The child was blindfolded, handcuffed, and physically assaulted by Grace Marie Perez-Jimenez, 27, before being released after a second ransom payment.
Perez, a resident of Reading, PA, sold crack cocaine to a local resident in 2011. When the resident failed to pay the $500 debt, Perez abducted the child as they walked home from school. Perez threatened to kill the child if the ransom was not paid, saying ‘you see this right here (referring to the gun), if I don’t get my money you may not be going home to mom.’
The victim was then driven to Philadelphia, where Perez used the ransom money to buy PCP. Perez demanded more money and a second ransom drop was placed in the mailbox of Perez’s mother. The child was released after the second payment, but not before being subjected to hours of psychological torture.
Perez pleaded guilty on July 12, 2012 to conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to distribute phencyclidine (‘PCP’), possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine (‘PCP’), collection of extension of credit by extortionate means, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge James Knoll Gardner ordered Perez to pay a $5,000 fine, a $700 special assessment, and ordered five years of supervised release. Perez was sentenced to 28.5 years in prison on today in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Reading Police Department, and the Berks County District Attorney’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Natali.
The crime was committed in Reading, Pennsylvania, a city in Berks County. Perez’s actions have left a community shaken and a family traumatized. The case serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of addiction and the importance of addressing the root causes of crime.
Perez’s sentence is a just outcome for a heinous crime. The community can now begin to heal and rebuild. The sentence also serves as a warning to those who would commit similar crimes: the consequences will be severe and long-lasting.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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