Four Sacramento men accused of kidnapping, beating L.A. County businessman

Prosecutors announced federal charges Wednesday against four Sacramento men accused of kidnapping a Lancaster business owner and beating him while burglarizing his home in Palmdale last year.

Three of the suspects were arrested last week, while the fourth remained at large, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

All of them have been indicted on charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, according to court documents that were unsealed on Tuesday.

"These defendants are charged with putting the victim through a terrifying ordeal, one that will leave lasting emotional and psychological scars," U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada in a written statement . "We will not tolerate such brazen acts of violence and will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to ensure stiff penalties for perpetrators of such violent acts."

Shanjeet Brar, 57, Peter Arafiles Jr., 29, and Andrae Hawkins, 39, are expected to be arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks, according to the DOJ. Jerome Franklin Jr., 43, was still being sought.

The crime unfolded on Oct. 27, 2023, when the four defendants allegedly drove from the Sacramento area to the victim's trucking business in the area of 3rd Street and Avenue L in Lancaster, according to court documents.

The abduction

The kidnappers approached the victim and demanded money, gold and jewelry from him as one of them began striking him in the temple "approximately 20 times," according to the criminal complaint.

The men took the victim's wallet and cell phones before showing him a picture of his own daughter on one of the devices.

As the victim lied on the ground, one of the abductors bound his hands behind his back with plastic zip-ties, according to the complaint. One of the kidnappers demanded $250,000 from the victim's house and threatened to kill him if he did not comply, telling him, "This is your last day."

Officials said the kidnappers then used the victim's turban to cover his head, securing it with duct tape, as they forced him into a vehicle and began driving.

Two of the kidnappers were dropped off near the victim's home in the Anaverde Community of Palmdale, while the other two continued driving with the victim to a remote area north of Pyramid Lake, prosecutors said.

"While the victim was kidnapped, some of the defendants traveled to the victim’s home to burglarize it," according to the DOJ statement. The intruders made their way into the home through the garage door, but nothing was ultimately found to have been taken from the house.

The victim's wife, who was not home at the time, saw the break-in remotely on a security camera and called the victim, officials said. She tried to call her husband to tell him what was happening while his phone was in the possession of the kidnappers.

The victim was then abandoned in a desolate area, according to the complaint. He unsuccessfully tried to flag down passing motorists before ultimately finding a call box to call for help.

Conviction could bring life in prison

Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted as charged.

The case was investigated by the FBI.

"The community can rest assured that the perpetrators of this violent and heinous kidnapping are now in custody and will face serious consequences for their actions,” Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Office Akil Davis said. "The exemplary collaboration and perseverance from the men and women of the FBI and our law enforcement partners resulted in today's arrests and have made our streets safer."

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Four Sacramento men accused of kidnapping, beating L.A. County businessman