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Del Valle High School in Travis County, Texas.Credit : google maps
NEED TO KNOW
Four 17-year-old boys in Texas were charged with aggravated kidnapping after allegedly kidnapping and beating a former classmate in Travis County
Authorities said the victim was lured away from Del Valle High School, then assaulted in a garage at gunpoint
The victim said he was told he was targeted for speaking to one of the suspects’ girlfriends
Four 17-year-old boys in Texas have been charged with aggravated kidnapping after allegedly kidnapping and beating a former classmate.
The alleged incident began on Feb. 19 when the victim left Del Valle High School with three of the suspects, according to multiple arrest affidavits filed by the Travis County District Court Clerk’s Office obtained by CBS Austin, WDBJ 7 and KHOU 11.
The victim was allegedly lured to a nearby home where the fourth suspect was waiting, per the outlets.
The four suspects, whom the school district described as “former” students, reportedly then allegedly took the victim to a detached garage where one suspect held a gun to his head while the others duct-taped his hands, feet and mouth, according to investigators.
The victim told police he was burned, forced to consume alcohol and beaten with aluminum bats, a walking cane and a belt, CBS Austin, WDBJ 7 and KHOU 11. reported
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Del Valle High School in Travis County, Texas.google maps
The victim also told investigators that the suspects repeatedly told him they were going to kill him, according to arrest affidavits, according to the outlets. The victim told authorities that the suspects said he was targeted because he had been speaking to one of the suspects’ girlfriends.
He additionally said the suspects told him they would harm both him and his family should he report the attack to police, CBS Austin and WDBJ 7 reported.
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The alleged attack was allegedly recorded by one of the suspects, per the affidavits obtained by CBS Austin.
The victim was eventually released and reported the alleged incident to authorities, according to CBS Austin and WDBJ 7.
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Police car (stock image).Getty
Investigators said they observed extensive injuries on the victim consistent with his description of the event, including bruises across his back, chest and legs, per the affidavits, according to CBS Austin and WDBJ 7.
Investigators further said that several of the suspects ultimately admitted to carrying out the attack when questioned by authorities and said they had been planning it for about a week, according to the affidavits, per CBS Austin.
If convicted, the four suspects face between five and 99 years in prison, according to local outlet KVUE.
All four teenagers have been charged with aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon and engaging in organized crime, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) told PEOPLE.
Two suspects were released on a surety bond — one on March 5 and the other a day later — while the other two remain in police custody, authorities said.
In a statement from Del Valle Independent School District (ISD), a representative told PEOPLE, “Del Valle ISD is aware of the reports of an off-campus incident that resulted in the arrests of former DVISD students.”
“The incident is being actively investigated by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. The district does not have further information at this time,” they continued.
The representative added, “The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and we will continue to monitor this incident. We will always communicate with the school community when there are impacts to the school environment.”
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