An Ohio polygamist, Martina Jones, her husband Michael Esqueda, and her four lovers, Aaron Bradshaw, Austin Bradshaw, David Cessna, and Chance Johnston, were arrested for kidnapping and torturing a 26-year-old man at a hotel in Maumee. The victim was held captive for a week, during which he was brutally beaten, forced to stand for long periods, and only allowed to eat and drink once a day. The group of lovers reportedly share multiple children and the victim was only allowed to sleep for a total of 10 hours during his captivity. Police described the victim’s injuries as a result of being hit with a baseball bat, fists, elbows, and stomping on him, resulting in multiple fractured bones.
The victim told police that a fight had broken out at Jones’ home, resulting in her breaking her arm. She falsely blamed the man for her injury, leading her companions to abduct him and carry out the revenge scheme. The victim was eventually rescued when his captors allowed him to go to a convenience store, where he was able to contact someone who called his mother. The victim’s mother rushed to the hotel room and found her son with numerous injuries. The police chief described the situation as unusual, with multiple adult men involved in a relationship with a female and participating in a kidnapping and assault.
The six suspects, including Jones, Esqueda, and the four lovers, were indicted for kidnapping, three counts of felonious assault, and two counts of tampering with evidence. They are each being held on a $200,000 bond. The authorities believe that Jones ordered her companions to abduct the victim as a form of retribution for the scuffle at her home, where she falsely accused the man of causing her arm injury. The victim endured a traumatizing experience at the hands of the group of lovers, who subjected him to physical abuse and deprivation during his captivity at the Red Roof Inn in Maumee.
The victim’s ordeal involved being assaulted with a baseball bat, fists, elbows, and being stomped on, resulting in multiple fractured bones. He was only allowed limited sleep, food, and drink during his week-long captivity. The police chief emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that such occurrences are not common in their city. The victim was only able to escape his captors when he was briefly allowed to go to a convenience store, where he was able to contact someone who called his mother. The mother arrived at the hotel room and found her son with numerous injuries sustained during his ordeal.
The group of suspects, each linked romantically to Jones, faced serious charges of kidnapping, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. Despite the complex and twisted relationships between the polygamist and her companions, their actions constituted a heinous crime that led to the brutal torture of the victim. The man’s injuries and trauma resulted from a revenge scheme orchestrated by Jones, which spiraled out of control and led to a week-long nightmare for the victim. The suspects are being held on a substantial bond as they await further legal proceedings and potential consequences for their actions.
