Four arrested in Surf City kidnapping

Jose Paul Corona

Police have arrested four men they suspect kidnapped a man and woman

and hid them in a Huntington Beach auto repair shop Monday. Police are

still searching for a fifth man.

The two, whose names were not released, were bound with tape, beaten

and stashed in a shop in the 18000 block of Repair Lane during a botched

robbery and kidnapping attempt on Monday night.

The man suffered a broken arm and the woman received cuts on her face

during the kidnapping attempt, said Huntington Beach Police Sgt. Gary

Meza.

The four alleged kidnappers, Justin Nguyen, 23, of Huntington Beach,

Justin LaValley, 18, of Orange, Gabriel Villalobos, 21, of Long Beach and

Joseph Davis, 27, of Long Beach, face charges of kidnapping, assault with

a deadly weapon and burglary.

Just after 9 p.m. Monday a police officer heard a struggle near the

shop. He saw five men forcing a man and a woman into an auto repair shop.

When the men spotted the police officer three fled and two ran inside

where the couple was tied up.

The two in the shop surrendered to police, while the other hid. Police

found two of the men hiding nearby. The fifth had not been found as of

Wednesday afternoon.

Police said they think the man, 27, and woman, 21, were employees of

the business.

Their injuries were treated at a local hospital and they were

released. Police continue to search for the fifth man and are

investigating possible motives.

The four men were arraigned in West Orange County Court Wednesday

morning.