What was supposed to be a birthday celebration and a hopeful first date spiraled into a predawn rescue that police now describe as a kidnapping.
A Florida woman alleges that she and her 3-year-old daughter were held hostage inside a Miami home by a man she had met on Facebook Dating just weeks earlier. The suspect, identified by authorities as Saady Mijail Castellanos Triminio, 34, now faces a string of felony charges, including kidnapping, robbery, child neglect and battery by strangulation.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, officers responded to a report of false imprisonment at a Miami residence around 2:45 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21. When police arrived, they found the woman and her young child inside and safely removed them from the home.
Investigators say the woman, who lives in Orlando, had been communicating with Castellanos Triminio for approximately two weeks before agreeing to meet him in person. The pair connected through Facebook Dating and conducted several video calls before planning their first face-to-face meeting.
The suspect allegedly offered to purchase tickets for the woman and her daughter to travel to Miami to celebrate his birthday together. Believing they were heading to dinner at a restaurant, the woman and her child arrived in Miami on Friday.
But instead of a public birthday outing, the affidavit states that Castellanos Triminio picked them up, ordered pizza and brought them back to his home.
It was there, the woman told police, that the tone shifted.
Once inside the residence, she began to feel uneasy. According to the affidavit, Castellanos Triminio allegedly asked to kiss her. She declined and said she wanted to leave. As she began gathering her belongings, she told investigators, the situation escalated.
The suspect allegedly blocked her exit and warned that leaving would be “too dangerous.” When she attempted to text a friend for help, he allegedly took her phone for a brief period. The woman further alleged that when she began screaming, he covered her mouth until she told him she could not breathe.
In the chaos, she managed to retreat into a separate room with her child. From there, she contacted a friend, who immediately called 911.
One of the responding officers remained on the phone with the friend while police arrived at the residence. According to the affidavit, the officer instructed the friend to tell the woman to make noise so they could pinpoint her location inside the home.
As Castellanos Triminio opened the door to officers, the woman reportedly began screaming for help. Police detained him at the scene.
Castellanos Triminio was taken into custody and charged with kidnapping, robbery, child neglect and battery by strangulation. Online court records show he has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
