A man and woman kidnapped a police confidential informant who was trying to buy methamphetamine from them, according to a preliminary police report released Thursday.
Luis Fernando Salinas, 24, of 1804 S. C St. in Rogers, and Zuleima Aguilar, 29, of 2010 Bluebird Drive in Springdale, were arrested Wednesday in connection with kidnapping, aggravated robbery, criminal conspiracy and retaliation against a witness or informant. Salinas also faces one count of possession of a firearm by a certain person.
The pair were at the Washington County Detention Center with no bond set for Salinas and a $50,000 bond set for Aguilar on Thursday.
The Springdale Narcotics Unit was conducting an investigation around 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to the police report. An informant was supposed to buy drugs from Aguilar while wearing a covert wireless listening device, according to the report.
Salinas drove Aguilar to meet the informant, according to the report. When they arrived, the informant approached the passenger side window, police said. Aguilar was in the backseat and pointed a gun at the informant, according to the release. She then told the informant to get inside the vehicle, and the informant got in the front passenger seat, according to the report.
An argument broke out about whether the informant was involved in another person’s drug-related arrest, according to the report. At one point, Aguilar pressed her gun’s barrel into the informant’s leg and took $50, according to the report.
Salinas later told the informant he could not leave the vehicle during a stop, according to the report.
Patrol officers stopped the car and got the informant away from Salinas and Aguilar, according to the report.
Police searched the vehicle and found a loaded 9mm Glock, small wooden baseball bat and small collapsible baton, according to the report. Salinas and Aguilar were arrested at 9:30 p.m. at the intersection of Thompson and Pleasant streets, according to the report.
Salinas had an active warrant from Springdale, and Aguilar was on probation at the time of the incident, the report shows.
Springdale Police Department spokesman Lt. Derek Wright did not return a phone message left on his cell phone Thursday.