$25,000 Reward Offered for Information on Chicago Kidnapping

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced that there is an award being offered of up to $25,000 for information that leads to identifying and the arrest of the people who are responsible for a kidnapping of both a 36 year old man and a 13 year old boy from Chicago on September 10.

The facts in the case are that Alejandro Sanchez, 36, who was a resident of the 2200 block of North Kostner and Israel Mendoza, the 13-year old son of Sanchez' friend, as well as a third individual were confronted by two men, who were armed at the time, in the alley behind Sanchez's residence. The suspects were reported to be driving a gray van. It incident happened at about 9:PM

All of the three victims were forced into the trunk of their car and the car was driven to Oxbow Park, which is located in Hammond, Indiana.

At this time, all three of the victims were removed from the trunk, forced to kneel and then all were shot in the head. The only one to survive was the third victim. Sanchez died at the scene and Mendoza did three days later. The third victim played dead until the kidnappers fled the scene and then he was able to make it to a nearby nightclub to get help. The victim's car was found several days later parked on the1300 block of North Monticello in Chicago.

The first kidnapper has been described by witnesses as being a black male about 25 to 30 years old, 5'7" tall with a medium build and short beard and mustache. He was described as wearing a brown hooded sweater with gold letterihng, a black cap and black pants.

The second one is described as a black male 25 to 30 years old, 6'1" medium build with a mustache and short beard. He was described as wearing a gray polo shirt, black cap and black pants.

The case is under investigation by the Chicago FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF), which is made up of FBI Special Agents, Detectives from the Chicago Police Department and Investigators from the Cook County Sheriff's Police, and they are working with Officers from the Hammond, Indiana Police Department.