VACATION NIGHTMARE: Masked Gunmen Snatch Couple from Margaritaville Resort, Torture Them at Remote Boat Ramp in Shocking Kidnap Plot
Six men face federal kidnapping charges after allegedly turning a Florida beach vacation into a harrowing ordeal of torture, death threats, and a terrifying midnight escape.
In what reads like a scene from a psychological thriller, six armed suspects wearing “shiesty” masks and latex gloves allegedly kidnapped two people from the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort on May 29, forcing them into separate vehicles at gunpoint before subjecting them to hours of brutal torture at a remote boat ramp in Broward County. The nightmare began when the victims met an individual identified as “Saul” in the resort’s parking garage, only to be ambushed by multiple gunmen who demanded money and threatened to kill not only the victims but their families as well. According to an FBI affidavit, one suspect told a victim, “If I don’t get my money, every 10 minutes I’m going to take one of your fingernails,” while brandishing pliers in a chilling promise of what was to come.
The suspects—identified as Saul Alfonso Fajardo, 19, Justin Phihoang Le, 20, Amari Tamire Hill, 21, Anthony Teruel Hernandez, 18, Marikevies McNichols Jr., 19, and Weilen Hernandez, 20—allegedly transported the victims to what they chillingly called “the spot,” the West Broward Boat Ramp, where they were forced to kneel at gunpoint while armed men robbed them of phones, jewelry, and clothing. One victim was reportedly told his tattoo would be burned off because he “didn’t deserve to have it.” As the suspects discussed destroying evidence and burning items at the boat ramp, one of the victims faked a seizure in a desperate bid for survival, while the other escaped after being dropped off in a subdivision wearing nothing but underwear. Both victims, who had been stripped to their underwear and forced to send $400 via Zelle, managed to find safety, and authorities have since recovered burned clothing and surveillance footage from the scene. All six men have been charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, with the FBI continuing its investigation into what officials have described as a meticulously planned and terrifying attack on unsuspecting vacationers.
