Kidnapping claim leads to arrests, heroin bust

In an apparent kidnapping hoax Wednesday, a Lindenhurst woman worked with three co-conspirators to scam her own family out of $5,000 by calling up a relative, pleading for the money and pretending to be in danger, the Nassau police said.

The four were later found to be in possession of heroin and they face grand larceny, conspiracy and drug charges, police said.

Lilliana Vasquez, 18, of Jackson Avenue in Lindenhurst, told the relative "she would be in trouble if she didn't get the money and gave the relative the impression that she was under duress," a Thursday police report said.

The relative called police "and a meeting was set up to secure her safety," the report said.

The co-conspirators were Joel Tavarez, 18, of 42nd Street, Copiague; Christopher Almonte, 17, of Stewart Street, Copiague; and Noheli Almonte, 17, of 49th St., Lindenhurst.

In the expectation that they would get the $5,000, the four suspects traveled together to Winding Road, in Hicksville, to get the cash, police said.

As Vasquez met with the relative there, the three other conspirators stayed in the car, allegedly acting as lookouts and preparing for an escape.

Then the police, who had staked out the money handoff site, closed down the scheme.

Vasquez was arrested on Jerusalem Avenue in Hicksville at 10:20 p.m. Wednesday. After a quick investigation, the other three conspirators were arrested on Winding Road in Hicksville.

Twenty packets of heroin were found in the car after the arrests.

Eighth Squad detectives charged the four with grand larceny, conspiracy, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

All four defendants will be arraigned in First District Court on Thursday.

By BY JOSEPH MALLIA
Posted Friday, May 9, 2008

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