Newark Police have charged two men in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a University of Delaware student, according to Lt. Andrew Rubin.
Rubin said Saturday night just before 11:30, Newark Police responded to a report of an altercation at a residence in the 400 block of Hamlet Way. Arriving officers contacted a female victim who reported that two males attempted to remove her from her apartment.
Further investigation determined that the victim recently met one of the two males, later identified as Rene Villate Umpierre, 20, of Philadelphia, and she allowed him to come over to her residence. A second male, later identified as Keniel Rivera Peraza, 24, of Elkton, remained in a vehicle outside.
While inside, Villate Umpierre became aggressive and physical with the victim, began to choke the victim, and attempted to remove her from her bedroom said Rubin. The victim fought back and was able to secure herself in a room and call 911. The victim heard Villate Umpierre talking on the phone to Rivera Peraza as if they were planning to remove her from the residence, according to Rubin.
A Newark Police Officer, who was already in the area, located the two suspects leaving the apartment complex and took them into custody without incident. Peraza was found to have crack cocaine in his possession.
A knife was found to have been placed near the apartment door by one of the suspects.
Both suspects were transported to Newark Police headquarters where they were charged with the following offenses:
Rene Villate Umpierre
Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony
Attempted Kidnapping Second Degree
Strangulation
Conspiracy Second Degree
Offensive Touching
Keniel Rivera Peraza
Attempted Kidnapping Second Degree
Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Tier 1 Quantity
Conspiracy Second Degree
Both suspects appeared before Justice of the Peace Court #11 by video. Villate Umpierre was ordered to be held in default of $60,000 cash bail and was turned over to the custody of the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington. Rivera Peraza was released on $25,000 unsecured bail.
The woman is a student at the university living in off-campus housing according to police.