Three suspects arrested for robbing man at knifepoint, forcing him to dance in dress
IMMOKALEE, FLORIDA: A total of three suspects, Betsy Ann DeJesus, 37, Blanca Mejiamedina, 46, and Noah Navarro, 39, have been arrested after allegedly robbing $3,000 from a man, and then beating him and forcing him to dance in a woman’s dress while capturing it on camera. DeJesus and Mejiamedina face charges of kidnapping-inflicting bodily harm, robbery with a firearm, aggravated battery and kidnapping-false imprisonment, while Navarro faces an aggravated assault charge and a kidnapping charge of false imprisonment.
According to NBC, the incident took place at around 6 pm on August 9 when the man was walking towards his home on 3rd St near 2nd Ave. On his way, he got kidnapped at knifepoint by two men and was pushed into an SUV. He was then taken to Navarro’s house after being driven for about about 30 minutes, as per Law&Crime. There, Dejesus, stripped, beat and robbed the victim while threatening to kill him at gunpoint. She also forced him to dance in a dress and filmed him, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Officeas. As per Law&crime, Mejiamedina allegedly cut his face with a knife, while Navarro also pointed a gun at the man.
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As per NBC and Law&Crime, the man heard the trio discussing that they have to get rid of him before he dies at that place. He was then made to go into the SUV, where DeJesus forced his face into the seat. Later, they drove him to Glades County where they threw him on an unknown road. The suspects continued beating him, but he managed to run away to a nearby church where he called 911. The suspects fled the scene after a vehicle was headed in their direction.
According to Collier County Sheriff’s office (CCSO), the victim was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in West Palm Beach with severe facial swelling. The reports state that the video of the robbery was being shown to the public and that DeJesus planned the crime while allegedly paying $300 to have the crime committed.
On August 11, the man was given a photo lineup of the suspects. However, he only identified DeJesus and Navarro in a second photo lineup, as per Law&Crime. The man also claimed about threats as he said that DeJesus was still sending messages to him on social media, and stated he knew DeJesus prior to the incident, CCSO said.