Man arrested in 2013 kidnapping case | Western Colorado

A man accused of kidnapping a woman and holding her for ransom in 2013 has been arrested and is being held at the Mesa County Detention Center.

35-year-old Jesus Mendoza-Tapia is accused of kidnapping, extortion, threats and aggravated robbery.

According to the arrest affidavit, Mesa County Sheriff’s officers were called to an address near the corner of 22½ Road and L Road on June 4, 2013, after a woman told dispatch she had been kidnapped and fled.

The woman told police she did not know who kidnapped her. Her face and neck were wrapped in duct tape, rope and a torn T-shirt.

According to the affidavit, the woman told police she was approached by an unknown Hispanic man with a covered face who pointed a gun at her, blindfolded her and tied her hands, and then forced her to run into the desert.

The man then used the victim’s cellphone to call her mother and demand $60,000 in exchange for her release, the affidavit states. He then tied the victim to a tree and disappeared.

The affidavit states that the victim managed to untie himself and run in the opposite direction from the man.

According to the affidavit, the victim’s stepfather told police he considered Mendoza-Tapia a suspect because Mendoza-Tapia, a cousin in the family, had access to a handgun belonging to the stepfather that matched the victim’s description of the weapon used in the kidnapping.

Mendoza-Tapia also had access to a rope that was the same orange color as the rope used to tie the victim to the tree, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states that Mendoza-Tapia likely left the area a few days after the incident and returned to Mexico. He is also charged with an immigration violation. Jail records list his last known address as Gulfport, Mississippi.