Interesting Situation Involving a Schiller Park Resident
July 28, 2010 – 9:50am$2 million bail for each of 5 accused in Cicero kidnapping
But immigration officials would hold Mexican nationals if suspects released from jail
By Victoria Pierce, Special to the Tribune
7:15 PM CDT, July 19, 2010
A Cook County judge on Monday set a $2 million cash bail for each of five people accused of kidnapping the owner of a Cicero beauty salon and holding her for $200,000 ransom.
The five, who are charged with aggravated kidnapping, include Blanca Solis, 38, of Schiller Park, a customer at the salon. Solis allegedly overheard the salon’s owner, Zita Paniagua, talking about her financial success and then “hatched the plot” to kidnap her, said Assistant State’s Attorney Paul Fangman.
The other four defendants include Solis’ husband, Marco Cardenas, 35, of Schiller Park; and Gerardo Moreno, 39; Victor Mendoza, 34; and Rigoberto Lopez, 26, all of Chicago.
Under conditions set by Judge James Gavin, the five would need to pay the full amount of the bail to be released prior to trial. But if they are released, they would be taken into custody by immigration authorities, who have put a “hold” on the five Mexican nationals, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Colin Simpson.
Fangman said that about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, Paniagua left her salon in the 4900 block of Cermak Road in Cicero and walked to her car. As she approached her vehicle, a red Ford minivan owned and driven by Mendoza pulled up, Fangman said. Lopez pulled Paniagua into the van, where a ski mask was pulled backward over her head and her hands and feet were bound, Fangman said.
They drove to Moreno’s house in the 5100 block of South Homan Avenue in Chicago, where Cardenas and Moreno put Paniagua into a garbage can to roll her into the basement of the house, Fangman said.
Paniagua’s husband was then contacted, and after multiple calls, a drop point for the ransom money was set for 41st Street and Harlem Avenue in Stickney. But the husband had alerted police, and the FBI became involved in the investigation, Fangman said.
When the money was picked up Thursday afternoon, three of the suspects were arrested. The other two were soon found hiding in the crawl space of the house where Paniagua was being held, authorities said.
“Considering the circumstances, a $2 million cash bond is appropriate,” Gavin said.
The five are scheduled to appear in court again Tuesday morning
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