PBH / colombia (travelguide, pictures) / post

Gringo kidnapped and robbed in Cali

A friend was leaving a restaraunt on Avenida Sexta last week around 10:30 pm. He was with a girl that he had met recently. He hailed a taxi to go home which is about a 5 minute ride from sexta. Within a few minutes another car pulled up behind the taxi and the taxi stopped. The driver was part of the robbery.

A man got in the front seat with a gun and two men in the back seat. They drove off to an atm machine and used his card to withdraw about $500. They let the girl go but kept my friend in the car. They went to his apartment and he got another credit card for them to use.
He said they stopped somewhere and picked up a hooker who sat by my friend.

He told me that they drove around for an hour or so and stopped at 2 or 3 gas stations. He said that they used his card to fill up a couple of other taxis. At times he said that he was alone with the driver who had the gun on him. They only had one gun but passed it around to whoever was with them at the time.

He said that one time one of the crooks put his hand on my friend's head and shouted something to some friends outside the cab like, "look what I've got, a gringo"

They drove him around for an hour or so. Finally let him out unharmed. They did not wear masks and we not concerned that he could see their faces.

The police came that night and talked to them. They said the the kidnap squad which is called the "guala" sp? would come the next day but they never showed up.

By (Deleted user) on Jan 12, 2006, 09:25 in Friendly Talkzone.

haji says on Jan 12, 2006, 09:30:

great Great police work!!!!!!!

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Miguel says on Jan 12, 2006, 09:41:

"Hailing A Taxi" Bad move.

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Wastelandlive says on Jan 12, 2006, 09:46:

That's scary. 10:30 PM in the main part of town, accompanied. Not diggin that...

Wasteland

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morphus says on Jan 12, 2006, 09:51:

Shit happens!

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ElPadrino1 says on Jan 12, 2006, 09:58:

How could this be????? This is Col. I know, it must have been the Gringo's Fault for using the cab. Or maybe he argued over the fare or change. jaja

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Crazy4Cali says on Jan 12, 2006, 10:46:

Maybe it was the chica? How well does your friend know this chica? One possible scenario could have gone like this...

Just before they are getting ready to leave, his chica excuses herself to go to the bathroom. While in the ladies room, she calls her friend the "taxi driver" and says they are getting ready to go.
Her friend, who is waiting with his buddies in a nearby bar, tells his friends to finish their drinks as it's time to go to work. They get in their car and go to the meeting point. He gets in his "taxi" and heads to the bar.

Meanwhile, the chica is still powdering her nose giving everyone a chance to get organized. She comes out, looking as beautiful as ever and they head out to get the cab. On the sidewalk, the chica hails the cab, maybe waving off a couple of legitimate taxis because she didn't like how they looked. Well, she's the local, she would know.

So, "her" taxi pulls up and the adventure begins.

I don't know if this happened or not, but the situation described in the original post sounded just too well planned to have been some random gringo shakedown. Somebody was helping set it up and the most logical suspect would be the chica.

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ElPadrino1 says on Jan 12, 2006, 10:54:

The Chica??? But could a Col Chica be capable of perpetrating such a horrible act? Ja Ja Ja

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Crazy4Cali says on Jan 12, 2006, 11:08:

Las angelitas de Colombia? claro que no! Nunca!

but for the humor impaired, I'm not saying ALL CHICAS are in cahoots with taxistas ladrones.

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caslug says on Jan 12, 2006, 13:57:

Here's the more detail story from Pete.. Posted by Pete E on 01/10/2006
Last night my roomate Charles flagged a taxi on Avenida Sexta.As they started up the hill close to my place the driver acted like the car stalled,then two guys from a taxi behing jumped in,one had a gun.Charles had about 50,000 cash and a credit card.They wanted the PIN for the credit card,he trully didn't know it,he never does cash advances with it.They didn't believe him and got threatening.
He told them I have another card in the apartmentI do know the PIN for.I get this call from Charles,please bring the card down to the lobby.A taxi showed up,backed in and a uy asked for the card.The only legitimate excuse was he was at a restaurant and his card wouldn't work,he didn't say that.I went ahead and handed the guy the card through a little window.The guard got the taxi number.

I came back up,Beatriz asked me what happened.I told her Charles ewither needed to pay a restaurant of he got sequestered.About 10 miniutes we get a call from his girl friend.She said they had him at gunpoint in a taxi and dumped her out.

Beatriz called the Police,we alerted the guard at the front door.About 45 miniutes Charles shows up,just about the time the police get here.They probably had him about an hour and 15 miniutes total.He said they drove to several ATM's before the carde would work,but then they seemed happy,stopped and bought cokes and offered him one.They mentioned hitting the card again after 12PM.I guess it has a $300 limit so the max the could get was $600.But 4 50,000 pesos charges at gas stations on the first credit card hit before Charles could cancel it.

The police luetenant that came out was very nice.He told Charles you are very important to me because you are a gringo,they do not want stories of gringos getting robbed getting out.Wetold them what we knew but we ,me ,Charles and Beatriz to go in to talkn to the police some more today.

The Police guy was suggesting kind of profiling the cab drivers you get in with,better an older guy in a newer taxi.But really,are we going to waive off taxis waiting for the right appearing guy?Seems like alot of them look a little shaky.

Depends on how paranoid you are,or what your girl friend will let you do.Beatriz is going to be looking hard at these guys.She says we gringos are too confiance,I guess too much confidence,when we should be more nervious about things I guess.And her latest thought is don't walk anywhere from here,especially at night.

We agreed it was best I give the card to the guys as he said,the money will be refunded and who knows what they might have done if they got zero.Also he said they were just passing the gun back and forth,he was tewmpted to grab it.Lucky he did not try that I think,however if it was a head for the hills true sequester that might make more sense.But those guys are probably alot more serious and not as sloppy.

Charles is not down on Colombia,he will return,is even thinking about working from here.But his parents who were already paranoid will freak.Maybe he won't tell them.

You can always phone a taxi,thats what we do from the apartment,then there is a record of who picked you up.But its tempting just to flag a cab when there are so many on the street.I have done it hundreds of times.Its pretty well known not to do this from Juanchita there have been so many robberies.But maybe Avenida Sexta is the next best place for a cabbie would be ladrone to work.

I think I will just be picky what cab I grab coming back late from a place like Avenida Sexta.
I guess there is a US army officer assigned to Cali to work on crime,a major we are told.Beatriz has been playing phone tag with him,we are trying to get together today.He might have alot of imformation.

Pete

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tomtom33 says on Jan 12, 2006, 16:41:

I never tested it. But my bank says my limit is $505 in a 24-hour period. If this is correct, midnight means nothing.

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Lucia Rojas says on Jan 12, 2006, 16:48:

GIB You are so colombian by now!!! You sound just like a colombian....
yes this can happen to anybody here. And the chica theory is not far-fetched at all. One of the common ways of kidnapping is through a chica. There was a time when the delicuencia comun would sell kidnapees(?) to the guerrilla. they discovered it was a lucratrive business and all it takes some times is a pretty chica. I heard of a guy who was kidnapped for two years like this.

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platano says on Jan 12, 2006, 17:17:

GIB, You take the bus in Cali and you have never been robbed on the bus? I find this hard to believe. Have you taken the Blanco y Negro on Avenida Quinta? Un Ejecutivo? The robbers get on the bus at Unicentro, scream and point guns to scare people, take all the stuff they want from everybody, and calmly get off the bus before it even gets to Barrio Capri. They walk away slowly, carrying the loot, totally unconcerned about being followed or apprehended.

plátano

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rocinante says on Jan 12, 2006, 17:51:

Thanks Mr Robber "He said they drove to several ATM's before the carde would work,but then they seemed happy,stopped and bought cokes and offered him one"- Pete via Calsug

A good many times the thieves will rob your wallet, make you divulge your pin, take out the max, steal your belt, shoes/sneakers and maybe even your underwear - and in some cases they will give you cabfare home. I'm not joking.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Peso 1400 by November" Feb 5, 2008

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platano says on Jan 12, 2006, 18:48:

Pasto es una Ciudad Divina! Me encanta! Too serene? No way. One of my most terrifying experiences in Colombia happened in Pasto, only it was programmed and everyone in town from nuns to cops participated in the terrorism walking around with gobs of grease in their hands looking for skin that was not black. They called it the Festival de Blancos and Negros but I didn't want to be painted black by gobs of black grease. I had to hide out from the nuns, cops, kids, everyone!

They also have a day when everyone throws water on everyone else and that one I couldn't avoid: I was innocently walking down the street when two little girls pointed at me and, not believing their eyes, excitedly exclaimed: "Está seco!" which they had just the remedy for and they literally threw buckets of water on me, without an ounce of respect for my being elderly! I got into that game though, since now I was soaked, and by the end of the day I was filling water ballons and throwing them into second story windows. All in good fun of course. Pasto, too serene? I think Pasto is just about perfect.

plátano

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lolas says on Jan 12, 2006, 22:49:

Sorry I'm way off the subject... Anyone know were I can find tropical fruit lulo? TX

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