http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/09/01/20090901lara0902.html#comments> by Nathan Gonzalez - Sept. 1, 2009 08:47 PM The Arizona Republic
Mesa police arrested two Chandler men, one of whom claimed to be a member of the "Mexican Mafia," for allegedly kidnapping and threatening to kill a drug dealer who owed them money. When police arrested Angel Lee Lara on Saturday, he had a half-pound of black-tar heroin hidden in a basket filled with clothing, according to a Mesa police report. The incident began about 5:30 p.m. Aug. 26 when the victim's mother told police her son was kidnapped at Alma School and Guadalupe roads, according to police. "The victim admitted to selling marijuana for Daniel Lara and that he was always fronted the marijuana," a police report states. When the victim failed to pay for the drugs he sold, Angel and Vincent Lara, who is believed to be Lara's brother, confronted the victim on the 3100 block of South Wycliff, police documents state. Angel Lara took the victim's car keys, ordered him inside the car and the three left - with Angel Lara driving the victim's car and Vincent Lara driving a separate vehicle. During the trip to Chandler, Angel Lara "kept a handgun on his lap. Angel told the victim that if he tried to get away, he would shoot him," police documents state. Once at the Lara's Chandler home, Daniel Lara took the handgun and said "he was going out to the desert to shoot the victim." Daniel Lara then drove the victim around Chandler telling him to pay for the drugs he sold "or people would get hurt," the report states. At one point Daniel Lara picked up another man and instructed him to stab the victim with a screwdriver if he tried to flee. The victim was later freed and given back his vehicle. Two days later, Daniel Lara called the victim's mother, claiming to be a member of the "Mexican Mafia" and said if she didn't pay her son's debt he would order a drive-by shooting on her house, police said. On Friday, police watched Angel Lara grab a basket full of clothes from one vehicle and place it into the trunk of another near Alma School Road and the San Tan Loop 202. When police arrived "one half-pound of black-tar heroin wrapped in cellophane was located in the basket." Daniel Lara faces charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated assault, two counts of threatening or intimidating a witness, two counts of participating in a criminal street gang, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Angel Lee Lara was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, aggravated assault, armed robbery, misconduct involving weapons, possession of narcotics for sale and transportation of narcotics for sale.
