Jean-Dickens and Abigail Toussaint: Florida couple held hostage for $200K ransom after being kidnapped while visiting family
MIAMI, FLORIDA: A Florida couple is being held hostage for ransom since Saturday, March 25, after they were kidnapped in Haiti. Abigail Toussaint and her husband Jean-Dickens Toussaint, both 33, have been taken hostage for $200,000 in ransom.
Christie, the couple's niece who did not reveal her last name, said that both husband and wife went to Haiti to attend a festival and visit their family. On a bus ride from Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince, the couple was reportedly kidnapped, according to Miami ABC News affiliate WPLG.
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What happened on the day of the kidnapping?
Talking to the WPLG, Christie said, "They stopped the bus at a stop and then asked for Americans and their escorts off the bus and then they took them." She added that the family paid $6,000 which was initially demanded by the kidnappers. However, the ransom amount increased up to $200,00 for each. "We don’t have that type of money," said Christie.
Responding to the incident, a spokesperson for the US State Department stated, "The US Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas," reported Law and Crime. "We are aware of reports of two US citizens missing in Haiti. When a US citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts and we share information with families however we can. We have nothing further to share at this time," the statement added.
'We told them not to go but they wanted to go'
Jean-Dickens Toussaint, sister of Nikese Toussaint, explained that their family members were not aware of how to reach the Haiti police and thereafter, they have reached out to the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Embassy and the US Department of Homeland Security.
Nikese also shared that their family was worried about the couple's trip amid the gang violence and political unrest. Currently, there is "Do Not Travel" warning issued by the State Department for Americans who are planning to travel to Haiti. Talking to ABC News, Nikese said, "We were very worried when they said they were going, we told them not to go but they wanted to go."
The 1-year-old son of the couple from Tamarac was not on the trip with them. Their niece Christie said that she has been struggling to remain positive about the incident. "I do have the worst-case scenario playing in my head, but I keep trying to reject it because I don’t want that to happen. We just want to hear their voice as proof that they are still alive," she said.