Location: Orosi, Visalia

Incident Date: 09-11-18

Case Number: 18-11951/ 18-11955

City: Orosi, Visalia

Posted by: Media Relations

On Tuesday, September 11th at about 10:15 a.m. Tulare County Sheriff's Office Deputies were dispatched to the Sand Creek Apartments in Orosi regarding a possible kidnapping with ransom demands.

When they arrived, Deputies learned a woman had received a phone call, in Spanish, in which a vulgar male demanded an undetermined amount of money, via Western Union, for the release of her daughter; and, she was told if she declined, her daughter would be hurt.  

During the investigation, Deputies learned the alleged kidnapped daughter was in good health and attending school; and, the ransomed phone call was fake and originated from a foreign Country.

Around that same time, Deputies were dispatched to the Visalia Substation where a woman was at the Main Jail with $5,000 in cash for bail for her grandson. She told deputies, at about 10:30 a.m., she received a phone call from a person she believed to be her grandson, who told her he was with his friend and they were pulled over by Police.  The alleged grandson said Police had searched the car and found drugs. So he was arrested.  The phone receiver was then given to “Officer Brooks”, who confirmed the arrest and ordered her to report to the jail with $5,000 in cash, inside a brown envelope, to pay for his bail.

During the investigation, Deputies found the alleged jailed grandson at school and to be well. The fake phone number originated for a different Country;  and, the victim got her money back.

The public is being alerted to these incidents and is  being asked to report any suspicious phone calls to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office via telephone at 1-800-808-0488 / 559-733-6218 or anonymously at tcso@tipnow.com or by text or voicemail at 559-725-4194.