Maryland state police stock photo — Maryland State Police Stock Photo

WESTMINSTER, MD—On May 21, Maryland State Police detained five individuals from Westminster linked to an alleged kidnapping and assault incident in Carroll County. Those arrested include Dequan Tyheem Gaines, 27, Brian Scott Johnson, 30, Jordan Gabrielle Riley, 29, Marc Anthony Rivera, 21, and his sister, Sylena Marie Rivera, 19.

Gaines, Riley, and Marc Rivera face charges of kidnapping, second degree assault, false imprisonment, and extortion. Johnson and Sylena Rivera are charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, and extortion. All five suspects are being held without bond at the Carroll County Detention Center.

The investigation began on the same day after troopers were called to a Westminster residence following a report by a victim’s mother, stating her daughter and her boyfriend were being held captive.

The male victim was later found in a disabled vehicle in a local restaurant’s parking lot and was treated for injuries at Carroll Hospital Center. The female victim was discovered the next morning in another parking lot, unharmed.

This investigation, led by the Westminster Barrack with support from several law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, remains active and ongoing.

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