Rochester police have arrested six suspects in connection to the kidnapping and abduction of two University of Rochester students, Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo (pictured above).
Nicholas and Ani were rescued on Sunday night after a SWAT team stormed a home near URI, about four miles away from campus. Nicholas Kollias was found with a .22 rifle gunshot wound in his leg and court documents also reveal that they had been held for 40 hours and beaten with fists, clubs, and other objects.
Update 10:04 AM–The court documents show that they were held at gunpoint, robbed of all their cash and credit cards on Harvest Street (source).
Update 10:33 AM–Lora had apparently left the house to buy more food when SWAT arrived. She had left one of their wallets in a backpack.
The UR website tells us that Ewo is a cornerback for the football team, and Kollias was a defensive end for the squad last year. Both students are from Illinois.
Police remain at the house where two kidnapped @UofR students were rescued Sunday. pic.twitter.com/eqafBnAquG
— Seth Voorhees (@SethVoorheesTV) December 7, 2015
The house (pictured above) where Nicholas and Ani were found, exists in a neighborhood described by locals as “filled with drug abusers preying on college students (source).”
Nicholas and Ani were reported missing on Saturday evening, a couple of hours since they were last seen near the school.
Here are the names of the suspects. Some mugshots are not being released at this time because they may be used in lineups.
Second-degree kidnapping, a felony, carries a potential sentence of 5 to 25 years in prison; first-degree kidnapping carries a sentence of 15 to 25 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Lydell Strickland
Lydell Strickland, 26, of Rochester. He was charged with first-degree kidnapping. Includes charges of terrorizing and intending to cause physical harm.
Lydell has served prison time on weapons possession charge. He violated parole once, returned, then completed his sentence.
Dennis Perez
Lydell Strickland re-offended TWICE while on parole AND Dennis Perez is a gang member here in Rochester #UofRabduction #ROC
— Radio 95.1 (@Radio_951) December 8, 2015
Dennis Perez, 23, of Rochester. He was charged with first-degree kidnapping. Includes charges of terrorizing and intending to cause physical harm.
Leah Gigliotti
Leah Gigliotti, 20, from Rochester was charged with four counts of first-degree kidnapping. Includes charges of terrorizing and intending to cause physical harm. No bail was offered.
Samantha Hughes family @ court after she and 5 other charged in connection to @UofR kidnapping @DandC @jonhand1 pic.twitter.com/AZPFD8k6fB
— Max Schulte (@maxrocphoto) December 8, 2015
Samantha Hughes
Samantha Hughes, 19, from Pittsford. She was charged with four counts of first-degree kidnapping. Includes charges of terrorizing and intending to cause physical harm. No bail was offered.
Inalia Rolldan
Inalia Rolldan, 19, from Rochester. She was charged with two counts of second-degree kidnapping. Bail is set at $50K. It is believed that she was helping to guard the house where both students were being kept.
Ruth Lora
Ruth Lora, 19, from Rochester. She was charged with two counts of second-degree kidnapping. Bail is set at $50K. It is believed that she was helping to guard the house where both students were being kept.
