Texas man allegedly kidnapped his own wife at gunpoint

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (TCD) — Police recently arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of forcefully abducting his wife at gunpoint before leading officials on a car chase over the weekend.

On March 30 at around 7:13 a.m., patrol officers with the Brownsville Police Department responded to the 4100 block of Westland Drive in reference to a possible aggravated kidnapping in progress. Martin Severiano Vela had allegedly entered a home, kidnapped his wife at gunpoint, and aimed a firearm at the homeowners, telling them to stay out of the way. Vela then reportedly took his wife into a white Chrysler 300.

According to officers, approximately 10 minutes later, witnesses called dispatch to report a man on top of the hood of a Chrysler 300 with a woman screaming inside the vehicle outside a local Stripes convenience store. Police responded to the scene to find only the victim, who told them her husband drove her to an abandoned property near Dana Avenue to harm her.

Vela allegedly exited the vehicle to hurt his wife when she jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off. The suspect reportedly went onto the hood of the car as the victim drove to the local Stripes store. Once there, the victim got out of the car, and her husband fled the scene in the Chrysler 300, police said.

Moments later, the Texas Department of Public Safety pursued Vela’s vehicle as it was driving recklessly. Brownsville Police assumed the chase, and Vela eventually crashed and hid in a shed on Salvatierra Street.

Officers apprehended Vela and booked him into the Brownsville City Jail on charges of aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, burglary of habitation with intent to commit other felony, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated with three or more previous convictions, evading arrest on motor vehicle, reckless driving, duty on striking fixture/highway landscape, burglary of building, and failure to identify fugitive intentionally giving false information. Vela was arraigned on March 31, and his bond was set at $212,000.

Additionally, police said Vela had two active warrants from the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office.

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