COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two people were arrested Thursday after allegedly kidnapping, holding and threatening a 13-year-old boy who broke into and damaged a Kia, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
Cece Prak, 20, and 21-year-old Zachary Boyd found the boy in Prak's vehicle at their apartment in southeast Columbus, records say. The boy told officers with the Columbus Division of Police that he was inside the vehicle when he was confronted at gunpoint, assaulted and forced inside the apartment.
The boy's father reportedly received a call around 5:30 a.m. from a woman demanding $3,000 because she caught the boy inside of her vehicle along with damage to the ignition switch. The caller told the father that the boy would not be released until the money was sent via Cash App.
Officers obtained a search warrant to gain entry into the apartment and the SWAT team found the boy safe.
Prak and Boyd are charged with first-degree felony kidnapping. A third juvenile suspect was also charged with kidnapping.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
As Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Andrea Peeples set bond Friday, she commented on the incident saying, “I understand the minimal record, but we are definitely in the wild, wild west here with people taking justice into their own hands if the facts are to be believed.”
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein warned residents not to take justice into their own hands.
“Don’t take justice into your own hands, but I do think it is evidence and a reflection of the frustration people have. They want to be able to maintain their livelihood and they know that may not happen if their car is stolen.”