4 Men Arrested in Kidnaping Case

RESEDA —  Four men have been arrested for allegedly kidnaping a man from a Reseda residence and holding him for ransom, police said Monday.

Manual Lopez, 26, a Mexican national, was discovered bound and gagged in the garage of a southeast Los Angeles house on Friday night, Detective Larry Hedwall of the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Hedwall said three men, armed with guns and knives, kidnaped Lopez Thursday morning from a house that they had just robbed.

Residents of the dwelling, whom police declined to identify, did not report the kidnaping to police until late Thursday night, Hedwall said, noting that Lopez apparently knew one of his assailants.

The kidnapers fled with Lopez in a car belonging to a resident of the Reseda house, Hedwall said. Several ransom demands for a substantial amount of money were subsequently made for Lopez’s safe return.

Police tracked the victim’s whereabouts Friday afternoon and SWAT officers moved in that evening and arrested nine people from two locations, five of whom were later released, Hedwall said.

Arrested on suspicion of kidnap for ransom were Francisco Horta, 20, of Los Angeles; Sergio Gonzalez, 22, Humberto Gomez, 19, and Orlando Gonzalez, 28, all of Mexico, Hedwall said. A gun was recovered at one of the houses.