A 27-year old man is safe after he was kidnapped and held for ransom by 2 men in Salinas last night. The suspects, 20-year old Marland Steeples and 19-year old Troy Joseph contacted the victim’s father saying that his son was being held against his will, and demanded money from the man to pay off a drug debt for his son’s safe return. Officers coordinated a ploy to lure the suspects to a pre-determined location to collect the ransom money and turn the victim over to his father. Both Steeples and Joseph, who were taken into custody while the turn-over was taking place, were booked into Monterey County Jail on charges of Kidnapping, Extortation, Criminal Conspiracy, and Narcotics Sales. Meanwhile the victim was safely reunited with his dad.
