Calif. woman accused of pistol-whipping mom, forcing family into U-Haul during kidnapping
10/31/2022 12:08 pm PDT
WESTMINSTER, Calif. (TCD) -- Two people were arrested last week after they allegedly kidnapped one of the suspect’s family members and demanded money.
According to the Westminster Police Department, on Oct. 27 at 2:37 a.m., officers went to the 14300 block of Pine Street for a call about a kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon and found two adults bleeding from their heads. Officers reportedly learned that two suspects "forcefully entered the residence and demanded money."
One of the suspects allegedly pistol-whipped the adults when they said there was no money in the home. A 14-year-old female and 6-month-old child were also reportedly present at the time of the alleged attack.
The suspects, Michael Alexander Rodriguez, 26, and Bich Dao Vo, 30, reportedly forced the family members into a U-Haul van at gunpoint and drove them to a hotel in Costa Mesa. Westminster Police said Bich Dao Vo also goes by the name Michelle Rodriguez.
The two adult victims reportedly escaped the hotel room and left the juveniles while they went home to call police. The 14-year-old and 6-month-old were reportedly found uninjured.
According to Westminster Police, officers found the U-Haul and initiated a "high-risk felony traffic stop," where they reportedly discovered an AK-47 rifle and .40 caliber handgun inside the van.
Michelle Rodriguez and Michael Rodriguez were taken into custody on charges of kidnapping, robbery, assault with a firearm, false imprisonment, child endangerment, and felon in possession of a firearm.
The Orange County Register reports Michelle Rodriguez is the 6-month-old boy’s mother, 14-year-old’s sister, and adult victim's daughter.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Michelle and Michael Rodriguez are married. Michelle's mother, Dan Vo, reportedly needed stitches in her head. Vo's other daughter, Lucy Tran, was also allegedly kidnapped alongside her boyfriend.
Tran told NBC Los Angeles her mother was "pleading for her life," and that Michael Rodriguez "was manhandling the hell out of my mom."
Tran said Michael Rodriguez was allegedly pointing the AK-47 at the victims "the entire ride as he was drinking and smoking his cigarettes."
She added, "We were terrorized the whole entire ride until we got to the hotel."
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