An unemployed Mexican builder, Eliot Garrido Guido, angry that his wife, who is a banker, makes more money than he does, decided to swindle money from her by faking his own kidnap with a ransom of $450.
Guido who lost his job three months ago, asked his friend, Carlos Amilcar Martinez Reyes assistance in carrying out his plan which involved sending a scary message to his wife that he would be killed if she does not come up with the ransom money.
The 36-year-old Guido had 42-year-old Reyes take photographs of him tied up and gagged, with ‘blood’ gushing out of his ‘bruised’ head.
One of the photo showed Guido with blood on his white t-shirt and a gag over his mouth, while the second showed him in the same position but with a hood over his head.
The images were uploaded to Guido’s Facebook account, with the claim that the unemployed builder had been moved 900 miles away.
His wife feeling worried and agitated contacted police who were able to track the message to 300 metres away from Guido’s Mexico City home.
The wife narrating her experience said:
“When I saw the message and the photos, I couldn’t believe what was happening.
The kidnappers had demanded 7,000 Pesos ($450), and said my husband was being tortured.
They said they would kill him if I didn’t pay up.
I was seriously worried but when I contacted them they said I should leave the money at an address in Mexico City.”
The police arrested Guido and his friend Reyes, after they were able to trace the his message on Facebook to an uncompleted house just 300 metres away from Guido’s home.
A police spokesman said: “We found them in a house about 300 metres away. ‘They both confessed and were arrested on the spot. The men now face five years in jail.”
