Missing man found in Florida
An investigation by the Colby-Abby Police Department, Marathon County Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation has resulted in a warrant for the arrest of a 39-year-old Florida man.
According to the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department, an apparent abduction occurred in the parking lot of Abbyland Foods during the afternoon of June 9.
The victim has since been located in Florida, and two suspects were taken into custody for federal crimes, according to a press release from the CAPD.
Court records showed that the victim had been smuggled from Mexico, across the U.S. border, in 2021, where he was put to work in Kissimee, Fla., to pay off a debt related to the smuggling.
The alleged smugglers forced the victim to work in construction while garnering most of his wages to pay off this debt, according to reports.
Police say the victim became desperate as he skipped meals he could not afford and contacted a family member in Wisconsin who picked him up in Florida and took him to Abbotsford.
According to court records, Felipe Engracia-Gonzalez, also labeled as one of the man’s “employers”, drove to Abbotsford to pick him up after sending the man and his mother threatening messages.
The victim, a 29-year-old male, was first reported missing by his family on June 10 after he did not return home from his job at Abbyland Foods. The victim did not respond to any phone calls or social media messages during this time.
Police reviewed surveillance footage from Abbyland, which showed the missing person exiting the building in Abbotsford at 2:55 p.m. on June 9. The person was confronted by two individuals who had been sitting in a silver 2015 Cadillac Escalade parked next to the missing person’s vehicle.
“One of the occupants exited the Escalade, quickly walked around the vehicle and approached the missing person,” the press release states. “The missing person was persuaded by threats to enter the Escalade.”
The Escalade in question did not have a front license plate, and the surveillance video was not clear enough to obtain the rear license plate number.
The missing person’s phone was later located in the Highway 29 median near Wausau.
The CAPD requested help from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department, and early in the investigation, police identified suspects in Florida. Additional assistance was obtained from the FBI and Osceola County Sheriff’s Department in Florida. A vehicle similar to the suspects’ Escalade was located at an address in Osceola County.
The missing person was located by the FBI and Osceola County deputies at one of the suspect’s addresses, and taken to a safe location.
“The investigation is ongoing to identify other conspirators,” the press release states. “No names are being disclosed as this investigation continues.”
Engracia-Gonzalez is being charged with kidnapping/carry without consent, which is a class C felony in Wisconsin.
