LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A 3-year-old boy kidnapped from a wealthy suburb and held for more than two weeks for a $1.5 million ransom was rescued by an FBI SWAT team.
The San Marino boy was safely returned to his parents Monday night, and kidnapping charges were filed Tuesday against five men and two teenagers.The boy was found when FBI agents raided an apartment in South Central Los Angeles where the kidnappers had left him in the care of two women, said agent Stephen Wiley. The rescue operation was peaceful, Wiley said.
Names of the victim and his family were not released. Authorities would only say the father is a prominent Asian-American executive in the garment industry.
All of those arrested are of Asian descent.
San Marino Police Chief Arl Farris said the 3-year-old boy was taken on March 20 by two masked men who forced their way into the family's home at midafternoon. No ransom was paid.
San Marino is a wealthy enclave northeast of downtown Los Angeles better known for the Huntington Library than for major crimes.
Almost entirely residential, the city's median home price is $750,000.