Family offers reward in kidnapping near Palmview

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>> Anyone with information about this kidnapping is encouraged to call Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers at (956) 687-8477.

NEAR PALMVIEW — Relatives of a 21-year-old man kidnapped early Tuesday morning have made a desperate offer of $10,000 to anyone who safely returns him home.

The reward is not sanctioned by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, which continues to investigate the kidnapping, but relatives said they want to do anything that will ensure Roberto Carlos “Charlie” Bautista comes home unharmed.

“Hopefully nothing bad happens to him,” said Vanessa Bazan, his 20-year-old wife. “Hopefully he appears soon.”

A group of four men stormed Bautista’s family home on the 4500 block of Sorita Road near Palmview about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.

The group held Bautista, his wife and other relatives at gunpoint and then kidnapped him, making off with their cell phones, car keys and other valuables.

No one has heard from him since, Bazan said.

Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said he does not support the reward for Bautista’s safe return.

“If they want to do that, that’s their thing,” he said.

Investigators are following up on leads after receiving calls from the public about Bautista’s abduction, but no suspects have been identified, Treviño said. The reward has the potential to create greater harm for Bautista if the family’s offer motivates his captors to harm him to get more money.

“We’re going to conduct our criminal investigation and if we identify the culprits, then we'll arrest them and prosecute them,” the sheriff said. “I caution (the family) to not interfere in the criminal investigation.”

Bautista got into an argument Saturday and Bazan said she worries that may have been a motive. She also has heard rumors her husband was involved with illegal drugs, but he has no arrests on his criminal record for such activity.

Regardless, Bazan said she just wants her husband and the father of her year-old child back home.

“I’ve heard so many rumors that I don’t know what to believe,” she said. “I don’t want to believe anything until he appears home.”

Anyone who brings back Bautista safely will get the $10,000, Bazan said. She can be reached at (956) 560-4589. Bautista’s sister, Yvette, can also be reached at (956) 240-4492.

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.