A Honduran member of a violent street gang has been arrested in Oklahoma after kidnapping a 22-year-old DFW-area woman at gunpoint on Christmas Eve as she was heading to her vehicle in a Haltom City parking lot.
He forced her into the backseat of her car, then drove her vehicle to an ATM, where he compelled the victim to withdraw cash. Afterward, he transported her approximately 22 miles to Grapevine. There, he reportedly tied her to a tree using her shoelaces and made threats about selling her organs or forcing her into prostitution, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
The victim managed to free herself and sought help from nearby residents.
Law enforcement entered the victim’s vehicle into national databases, leading to its discovery in Oklahoma City on Christmas Day.
Eduardo Javier Ordonez Godoy, a 35-year-old illegal immigrant from Honduras, was found inside the car and arrested.
The illegal immigrant then allegedly confessed to the abduction, showing no remorse for a crime that the unidentified victim said left her fearing for her life. Authorities noted that Godoy appeared to smirk during his confession and seemed almost proud of his actions.
“He smirked a lot, he giggled, and, you know, was almost proud of what he did,” Haltom City Police Sergeant Rick Alexander told Fox.
“He claims he’s just a thief. He wants money,” Alexander continued. “But, you know, in this case, clearly he went beyond that and brought a firearm into it.”
Godoy faces charges including aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery in Texas, as well as multiple felonies in Oklahoma, such as unauthorized use of a vehicle and firearm-related offenses.
Originally from Honduras, Godoy has an active ICE detainer due to his immigration status. He is currently held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center, awaiting extradition to Texas. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be filed as more information emerges, CBS News reported.
Godoy had been arrested before for similar crimes and had previously been deported back to Honduras, where he admitted he was in a gang, according to the New York Post.