A group of six South Florida men are facing federal charges in connection with the violent armed carjacking and kidnapping of a couple in a Lamborghini in Connecticut.
Angel Borrero, Josue Alberto Romero, Michael Rivas and Ricardo Estrada, all from Miami, Anthony Pena from Miami Gardens, and Reynaldo Diaz of Belle Glade, are facing carjacking and conspiracy charges, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut said Thursday.
The crime happened back on Aug. 25 in Danbury, when police responded to multiple 911 calls from people who witnessed the carjacking.
Prosecutors said the man and woman were in a Lamborghini Urus that was rear-ended by a Honda Civic before a white work van cut in front of them.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
The victims were forcibly removed from their vehicle, dragged into the van, and bound with duct tape, while they were repeatedly told they would be killed.
When the male victim began to resist, he was punched in the face and hit with a baseball bat, authorities said.
Officers who responded to the 911 calls spotted the van and tried to stop it, but it sped away, officials said.
Local
The van eventually crashed, and officers found the two victims inside, both bound with duct tape. The man had significant injuries to his face and arm, and both victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Borrero, Romero, Pena, and Diaz were captured in the area near where the van crashed. Rivas and Estrada, and the Honda Civic that rear-ended the Lamborghini, were located at a short-term rental home nearby, authorities said.
The Lamborghini was found abandoned in a wooded area.
It is alleged that the 23-year-old Borrero, known as "Chi Chi," organized, paid for, and booked flights for the six suspects to travel from Florida to commit the crime, authorities said.
The conspiracy charges carry a maximum of five years in prison, while the carjacking charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
An investigation involving the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force and the Danbury Police Department is ongoing.
