FEDS UNEARTH CORPSES OF 2 MISSING MEN CANOGA PARK RESIDENTS FOUND BURIED IN DESERT.Byline: Jason Kandel and Ryan Oliver Staff Writers The search for two young Israeli men believed to have been kidnapped from their Canoga Park home in December came to an end Monday after FBI agents discovered two bodies in a shallow desert grave, officials said. The location of the grave in a remote area northeast of Barstow was disclosed by one of the three people arrested earlier this month in connection with the kidnapping kidnapping, in law, the taking away of a person by force, threat, or deceit, with intent to cause him to be detained against his will. Kidnapping may be done for ransom or for political or other purposes. of Adar Neeman and Ben Wertzberger, both 25. ``An individual that was arrested and charged with kidnapping gave us the information,'' FBI spokeswoman Laura Bosley said. ``We acted upon the information that led directly to the bodies.'' The two bodies were taken to the San Bernardino San Bernardino, city, United States San Bernardino (săn bûr'nədē`nō), city (1990 pop. 164,164), seat of San Bernardino co., S Calif., at the foot of the San Bernardino Mts.; inc. 1854. County Medical Examiner's Office for examination and verification of their identities, Bosley said. Suspects Shane Ronald Huang, 34, of Canoga Park, Benjamin Frandsen, 29, of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and Ora Vossen, 38, are all being held in federal custody on kidnapping charges. Bosley said investigators are considering murder charges after the discovery of the bodies Sunday. ``Based on the identification of the bodies and additional investigation, additional charges are possible,'' she said. The kidnappings apparently involved drugs Wertzberger supposedly stole from Huang, authorities said. Before the discovery of the bodies, court documents filed by the FBI in the kidnapping case had offered signs the friends met with foul play foul play n. Unfair or treacherous action, especially when involving violence. foul play Noun 1. violent activity esp. murder 2. after supposedly heading to Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. on Dec. 2 to mix music for a New Year's Eve bash. On Dec. 3, someone - maybe Wertzberger - tried using Neeman's credit card to charge more than $8,000 worth of computer equipment at a Best Buy store in Las Vegas, the documents said. The purchase was denied. And Wertzberger's abandoned Chevrolet Cavalier was found Dec. 5, parked illegally near a Las Vegas police station. The keys were in the ignition, and the friends' luggage and stereo equipment were still inside. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. thee court documents, Huang had met Wertzberger and Neeman in a club and eventually threatened them with a knife and a 3-foot sword and kidnapped them because he thought Wertzberger was stealing marijuana from a crop he was growing in a specially equipped room in his Canoga Park house. Frandsen was also involved in threatening the friends, the affidavit affidavit Written statement made voluntarily, confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the party making it, and signed before an officer empowered to administer such oaths. said, while Vossen tried to intimidate in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. the victims by calling their families in Israel. Attorneys for Huang and Vossen maintain their clients are innocent. A lawyer for Frandsen could not be located. Wertzberger and Neeman were friends since high school in Israel and shared a love of music, as well as a dream of coming to Los Angeles and working as disc jockeys disc jockey (DJ) Person who plays recorded music on radio or television or at a nightclub or other live venue. Disc jockey programs became the economic base of many radio stations in the U.S. after World War II. at dance clubs, their friends said. Jason Kandel, (818) 713-3664 jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) NEEMAN (2) WERTZBERGER |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion