A landlord in Albany, New York, is facing kidnapping charges after he allegedly tied up two of his tenants, covered their heads with pillowcases and left them at a snowy cemetery.
Albany Police arrested 48-year-old Shawn Douglas on Monday afternoon and charged him with second-degree kidnapping in connection with the incident on Sunday morning, according to the Albany Times-Union.
According to charging documents obtained by HuffPost, Douglas forcibly restrained a 32-year-old male tenant and a 21-year-old female tenant sometime between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Police said he used zip ties and tape to restrain them before covering their heads with pillowcases and forcing them into his vehicle. Police said Douglas then drove them at gunpoint to a cemetery where he left them in the snow.
Eventually, the female victim was able to free herself and get help from a nearby house.
Douglas had been frustrated as he was unable to evict the tenants due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Times-Union reported. New York state placed a moratorium on evictions for tenants who have experienced hardship due to the pandemic until May 1.
Citing law enforcement sources, the Times-Union reported two others may have been involved in the alleged incident. No other arrests have been made.
Jail records show Douglas was later released from Albany County jail on $50,000 bond. Douglas was previously charged with assault and violating a restraining order.
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