For 40 hours, Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo were tied up in a bedroom in the house at 22 Harvest Street in Rochester. Three others also have pleaded guilty. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Empieza iniciando sesin con tu cuenta de Amazon, Segn tu ubicacin, se te ha dirigido a audible.es. As the investigation begins, cops find a stomach-churning video on one of the violent kidnapper's cellphones. At trial, Kollias and Ewo testified about their horrific experiences. Kollias and Ewo were taken to a nearby hospital, where they are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. Who is Ani Okeke Ewo And What Happened To Him. I didn't want to die and give in to these people.". "The cellphone video was clearly, in my opinion, the most essential piece of evidence and perhaps yes, also the most damning as well," said Schwartz. Authorities have said that UR seniors Ani Okeke Ewo and Nicholas Kollias were held and terrorized for 40 hours before being rescued by a Rochester police SWAT team. They keep Nicholas in the bathroom. Ani Okeke Ewo (left) and Nicholas Kollias (right) were rescued from a house in Rochester, N.Y., where they were held against their will for most of the weekend. By As the sun began to set on Sunday, Kollias thought he was going to die from his injuries. But why? In December 2016, Strickland, who was believed to be the leader, was sentenced to 155 years in prison after being found guilty on 31 charges, that included assault, gang assault, and robbery. The First Seminole War (1817-18) began over attempts by U.S. authorities to recapture runaway Black slaves . It is not clear why they were targeted. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. They roll up. Kollias saidhe lost four pints of blood -- almost 40 percent in the average human body -- as nine kidnappers threatened to chop off his toes and doused him with lighter fluid, threatening to light him on fire. All rights reserved. He was scared, but throughout the whole ordeal he kind of had this like optimistic view, 'They're going to release us,' but it was hard for me to kind of see that light. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Smith was also charged and was given a 13-year sentence for the robbery that triggered the later events while the two ladies who were used as bait were given over 12 years each for their part in luring the men to the house. It was just flopping around, and somehow I managed to get back to my feet and get to the door," said Nicholas. It is surrounded by Pinellas County enclaves in all directions. Not long after Nicholas and Ani meet them in the parking lot of Nicholas's apartment. When Kollias jumped up to flee the house, he was shot in the leg, which broke his femur. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Kollias saidhe lost four pints of blood -- almost 40 percent in the average human body -- as nine kidnappers threatened to chop off his toes and doused him with lighter fluid, threatening to light him on fire. Remembering the horror, Kollias alternated between an occasionally firm voice and long silent pauses, as he led jurors through the brutality of the weekend. One of the women reached out to Ewo via Facebook and text messages, Kollias said, and he and Ewo met them one night and went with them to the house. Seminole is located at 2750?19?N 8247?6?W / 27.83861N 82.785W / 27.83861; -82.785 (27.838502, -82.784913). "This is a once-in-a-career rescue. "I just feel like with everything that happened, I feel like he had more to do with it than he will ever admit," said Nicholas Kollias. Few details have been released about the case so far, and even the defense attorneys of some of the suspects say they haven't received a full story about what happened. It's believed that the first four lured University of Rochester football playerAni Okeke Ewo and former football player Nicholas Kollias to a house on Harvest Street and proceeded to beat them with fists and clubs, demanding their money, credit cards and bank numbers. In one video he actually pulls up still wearing a mask that he was wearing during the other cellphone video.". Chief Michael Ciminelli described the SWAT rescue of two University of Rochester seniors Nicholas Kollias, 21, and Ani Okeke-Ewo, 21. "I didn't think I was going to make it until (that) Monday," Kollias, 23, told theChicago TribuneTuesday. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It only got worse as time went on.". Shooting on Easter: 'It's Heart Wrenching', Suspect in Louisville Shooting Identified as 25-Year-Old Employee Connor Sturgeon: Police, the abduction of two University of Rochester students. Kollias and Ewo were lured to the Harvest Street home by two women they did not know late one Friday night. It's now Sunday night, 9 p.m., almost 40 hours into this kidnapping nightmare. Then Rochester Deputy Chief Scott Peters puts together a plan with the SWAT commander. Crime Watch Daily reached out to Ani Okeke Ewo for comment, but he never responded. "They tied up our hands and legs and dragged Ani and I into this bathroom," said Nicholas Kollias. Privacy Policy | Police did not offer a motive for the alleged kidnapping, but University President Joel Seligman issued a statement Monday saying: I will, at an appropriate time in the near future, be able to provide more detail about this very serious, but isolated, incident.. Upon entry, the SWAT team sees two individuals. Ani Okeke Ewo is a student at The University of Rochester who is believed to be in his early twenties and played as a cornerback for The University of Rochester football team and hometown Romeoville, Illinois. Other known charges are as follows: Dennis Perez: Twocounts of first-degree gang assault, six counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, ninecounts of first-degree predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree criminal use of a firearm, and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Growing up in an upscale suburb of Chicago, Nicholas Kollias was the all-American high school kid. "They were extremely organized," said Nicholas. "So I said 'Sure. They were instead held . While one of the kidnappers records, two of the others are seen threatening Ani Okeke Ewo with a hedge-trimmer, and then prodding Nicholas lying on the floor covered in blood. He took an active part in the Macedonian Struggle and would once . The two women have pleaded guilty to crimes and may testify. He also filed a $10 million lawsuit against those convicted in the abduction. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "For me playing sports and especially football was a huge aspect in my life. I always wanted to continue playing football in college. Few details of what transpired during those 40 hours had been released, other than that the pair were allegedlythreatened, beaten and terrorized. Ani Okeke Ewo has never been considered anything other than a victim. There was no evidence presented at trial that Ani was in any involved in planning or carrying out the kidnapping. Turns out Nicholas had been shot twice, once in each leg. When the woman invited him to a party, Ewo asked if he could bring along Kollias. TIME AND LOCATION: "It was eerily silent," said Rochester Police Deputy Chief Scott Peters. However, sources told the Fairport-East Rochester Postthat the victims got into a dispute between someone they know and the suspects. UR students abducted, hurt, prosecutor says. June Lovejoy: Full Biography Of The Actress, AMVCA 2023 Nominations: List Of All Nominees, Gangs of Lagos: A Pulse-Pounding Action Thriller That Delivers on Every Level, Oscar 2023: The Full List Of Winners (With Nominees), Shanty Town Review: Its Ambitious, Its Rugged, Its Somehow. UR abduction case:. David Alcaraz-Ubiles:First-degreecriminal use of a firearm, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. and and The population was 10,890 at the 2000 census. Of the nefarious nine suspects, five end up taking plea deals, including Samantha Hughes and Leah Gigliotti, the women who lured Nicholas and Ani to the house that night. A SWAT team rescuedKollias and Ewo that Sunday night from a home some four miles from the Rochester college campus. It does not store any personal data. Print fond memoriesThis pocket Bluetooth printer lets you print your precious memories before they hit Instagram. According to the Tribune, the jury was also showna video, shot on a phone by one of the kidnappers, of men in masks with chainsaws, beating and demeaning the victims. "They had nicknames. He was shot in the other leg, and continually beaten with knives, bats, and even a chainsaw, he said. Sources have told theDemocrat and Chroniclethat Ewo was wrongly identified as an individual involved in the robbery of local drug dealers, and that mistake prompted the kidnapping. Nicholas plans to file a civil suit against the University of Rochester. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. December 4,. It's deeply disturbing. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Undercover officers monitor the two locations. "At this point, my body was broken down and I didn't know how much longer I could go on," he said. Dec. 7, 2015 After more than 40 hours of sheer hell, Nicholas and Ani are reunited with their families. The Chicago Tribune revisits how the classical pianist and athlete from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook was kidnapped on the night of Dec. 4, 2015, along with fellow student Ani Okeke Ewo, after . "First of all both phones were turned off. -- University of Rochester Spokesperson Sara Miller. Tambin sin conexin. Ani Okeke Ewo and Nicholas Kollias, who both testify against their kidnappers, watch that grotesque video in court. All rights reserved (About Us). Police believe it was a premeditated attack. Rochester Police said a SWAT team rescued the two students at approx at 9:20 p.m. Sunday. Prueba Audible gratis durante 30 das. Copyright 2022 Rolling Out. "Trying to track down the two women that they had met up with," said Peters. David Alcaraz-Ubiles, one of his co-defendants, was found guilty of kidnapping and weapons charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison, which he will serve after completing a separate 15-year sentence for an unrelated crime. The mugshots of the six young men and women accused of kidnapping two University of Rochester athletes were released on Friday, nearly a week after they allegedly lured the two men to an apartment and held them captive for 40 hours of terror. He managed to stand before being subdued. Neither of them are making it easy for investigators. Julie Herrod When Was She Born, Career, Wheres She Today? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The university responded in part: "We disagree with Mr. Kollias's assertions but we continue to wish him the best as he moves forward after this traumatic experience." Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. Lydell Strickland, 26, was sentenced to155 years in prison for planning the attack as well as charges ofrobbery, assault and sex abuse. University President Joel Seligman issued a statement Monday saying: 'I will, at an appropriate time in the near future, be able to provide more detail about this very serious, but isolated, incident. Im not going to close my eyes. Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, Illinois, and Ani Okeke Ewo, of Aurora, Illinois, were reported missing Saturday evening, hours after they were last seen near the school. He says during their 40-hour ordeal, he received more of the abuse than Ani did, and he thinks he knows why. The Democrat and Chronicle reports that. Though saying he had no information to support the alleged connection, Seligmansaid UR was working with local police, UR Public Safety and campus housing to "strengthen campus safety and to address drug use on campus. At trial, Ani Okeke Ewo and Nicholas "Niko" Kollias testified about how they were duped to go to a city home by two young women who claimed they wanted to party with them. Relatives. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both seniors at the school, were reported missing on Saturday evening under "suspicious circumstances," police said. The assailants, who took the UR student's credit cards, ATM cards and telephone, seemed almost gleeful, according to the testimony. "The drug dealers, when they came back, were looking for the people who lived in that apartment, not realizing that it was just being used by somebody else. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both seniors at the university, were reported missing on Saturday evening under "suspicious circumstances." They were eventually located at a residence. This is the story Ani Okeke, a victim of abduction and abuse. Hughes was less than helpful. In December 2015, Nicholas Kollias and fellow senior Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochester football players, were kidnapped near the New York campus. They make their way through the kitchen. In December 2015, Nicholas Kollias and fellow senior Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochester football players, were kidnapped near the New York campus. So Ani took a quick picture of me and sent it to them.". "The evidence was overwhelming. 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I got up as fast as I could and tried running to the side door," said Nicholas. On December 4, 2015, Ani and Kollias were hanging out with their friends from the football team, when they were approached by a lady Samantha Hughes, who tried to friend the two players on Facebook earlier in the week. On Wednesday, four people were sentenced in the December 2015 abduction and torture of two University of Rochester students, the Washington Post reports. That robbery led a group of drug dealers to abduct two other UR football players, Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, in a case of mistaken identity. The remaining two, Inalia Rolldan and Ruth Lora, were each given seven-year sentences after being convicted on kidnapping and weapons charges. "I just remember like touching my head and having all this blood just coming down everywhere," said Nicholas. Ricky Ross has a handle on good business practices, Michael Maliakel and Dennis Stowe discuss diversity of Aladdin Broadway cast, Afro B taps into his traditional sound with latest song Casamigos, Timbaland was inspired by Mother Nature for some of his biggest hits, Beauty entrepreneur Aaliyah Thompson named a McDonalds Change Leader, Larenz Tate thinks Hollywood values Black British actors more. While the football players are negotiating for their lives, their absence is not going unnoticed. I didnt want to die and give in to these people.. And just when they thought their time was up, a miracle occurred. I didnt want to die and give in to these people, he stated to the media. Rochester police chief Michael Ciminelli told reporters other students should not be concerned for their safety. Five men and four women, all Rochester-area residents in their late teens and early 20s, were convicted of kidnapping and other crimes. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both 21-year-old students, were lured to a house several miles from campus for what they believed was a party. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. In the moments after Ewo and Kollias arrived, the house went dark and a group of masked men pounced on the pair, binding them in duct tape and taking them into a bathroom. The girls must have liked what they saw. "There was nothing I could do, and then I just remember getting hit over the head with a bat and I'm laying on the ground and these men are just screaming, just 'Don't fight us, just take it and don't try and escape,'" said Nicholas. Growing up in an upscale suburb of Chicago, Nicholas Kollias was the all-American high school kid. Copy Link Copy Link Summary; 2 former friends, football players, and frat brothers, get kidnapped, assaulted, and help captive for 40 hours. The New York Daily Newsreports Kollias has since graduated and moved back to the Chicago area, where he still undergoes physical therapy twice a week and works in financial services. "Then before I knew it we showed up at the house.". "There was remnants of tape around their ankles and hands. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Elige entre ms de 90.000 audiolibros y podcasts originales. I was thinking about my family, parents, and God. All in order to make the pair reveal their debit card PIN numbers. Nicholas Kollias (left) and Ani Okeke Ewo (right), both 21, were abducted on Saturday and rescued from a home near campus the next day. "It essentially showed 30 seconds of torture, and when you put that in perspective that was only 30 seconds out of almost 40 hours, so you can only imagine what they went through during the other 39 hours and change.". Im not going to give up without a fight, he recalled thinking.
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