A taxi driver who was kidnapped and beaten by known gang members was rescued by Salinas Police on Monday. An anonymous tip led officers to a home on the 1600 block of Georgetown Way where they found a man handcuffed in the garage. When they conducted a welfare check, the victim stated that people in the residence had kidnapped and assaulted him. 32-year-old Michelle Hernandez called the taxi, but when the driver arrived she told him to wait inside while she finished getting ready. There the man was approached and restrained by 29-year-old Juan Vargas and 32-year-old Jason Jasso. The victim was beaten by all three with a baseball bat, and sustained a broken arm, multiple bruised ribs and possible concussion. They also robbed him at gunpoint. Hernandez, Vargas, and Jasso, all known gang members, were booked on charges of kidnapping, robbery, and gang enhancements.
