Defendants Charged in Car Jacking Plead Guilty

United States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced this afternoon that 37-year-old Jesus Hector Saenz, aka “Frosty” pled guilty to car jacking and hostage taking for his role in the July 31, 2008, crime involving three victims. Saenz’ 72-year-old grandfather, Jesus Hector Saenz, Sr. also pled guilty to misprision of a felony for his role in the crime.

On December 16, 2008, Saenz and five others were indicted for their roles in a July 31, 2008, Austin, Texas, car jacking where three victims were forced at gunpoint by three of the defendants into a vehicle owned by one of the victims. Saenz and two others brandished an AK-99 machine gun, an AR-15 rifle and a Ruger pistol. One of the victims was put into the trunk of the car and the other two were placed in the backseat. One of the victims managed to escape and ran and hid in a field for an hour or longer before making it to his brother’s house and eventually making a police report. The other two victims remained hostage in the car and were ultimately transported at gunpoint by Jesus Hector Saenz and Jesus Chavez a/k/a “Chuy” to the Dallas area and held for several more days. The car jackers demanded that the wives of the victims arrange for a ransom of $20,000 be delivered to a location in Laredo, Texas. The ransom of $19,000 was taken to Laredo and the grandfather, Jesus Hector Saenz, Sr., picked up the money from a third party intermediary and delivered it to the carjackers in the Dallas, Texas area. The remaining two victims were recovered in a house in South Dallas by Dallas SWAT and other cooperating law enforcement.

Jesus Hector Saenz faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the car jacking charge and up to life and $250,000 fine for the hostage taking charge. One other Defendant, Francisco Javier Gonzalez, Jr. plead guilty on February 5, 2009, and is awaiting sentencing. The other two gunmen, Luis Owens Gonzalez and Jesus Chavez, aka “Chuy” are fugitives. Anyone knowing their whereabouts should contact Austin Police Department at (512) 974-5210 and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Laredo, Texas, at (956) 723-4021.

Defendant, Nicholas Paredes, Jr.is in custody in Kansas on unrealed charges and will be transported to the Western District of Texas in April to face federal charges.

This case is being investigated by the Austin Police Department, Dallas Police Department SWAT and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Laredo Field Offices. It is being prosecuted for the government by Assistant United States Attorney Grant Sparks.