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Captors tie and beat teenager, deputies say
By KATHERINE GAZELLA © St. Petersburg Times, published May 9, 2001 PALM HARBOR -- Jonathan Gonzalez thought his friends were taking him to a party. Instead, they tied up the 17-year-old, accused him of stealing jewelry and beat him up, said Pinellas County sheriff's Sgt. Greg Tita. They tied his hands behind his back with a pink dog leash, while one of his captors punched him repeatedly in the face and another threatened to castrate him with electric hedge clippers, Tita said. The hedge clippers, wielded by Elizabeth McEleavy, 49, were not plugged in and did not cause any injuries, Tita said. But Robert Zambrana, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y., repeatedly punched Gonzalez's face and tried to choke him, Tita said. Gonzalez had a broken nose, a chipped tooth and numerous cuts and bruises on his face and neck, Tita said. Five people, three adults and two teenagers, were charged with kidnapping and aggravated battery, Tita said. McEleavy also was charged with possession of cocaine. McEleavy, who lives in the Palm Harbor home where Gonzalez said he was beaten up, was held Tuesday at the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $65,000 bail. Zambrana and Joseph Giordano, 19, of Oldsmar, were held in lieu of $60,000 bail each. John Garrett, 17, of Tampa, and Vanessa Giordano, '6, of Oldsmar, were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center, Tita said. Gonzalez could not be reached for comment Tuesday. He told deputies that he met Joseph Giordano at the AMC Woodlands Square 20 theater about 10 p.m. Monday and was taken to McEleavy's house, at 2722 Penzance Drive in Palm Harbor. There, Zambrana held Gonzalez by his shirt and punched his face repeatedly, a sheriff's report said. Zambrana pulled out a kitchen knife while McEleavy held Gonzalez against a wall by his neck, the report said. Zambrana told Gonzalez he was lucky Zambrana "wasn't going to kill him," the report said. Zambrana and McEleavy accused him of stealing gold jewelry from McEleavy. Tita said no further information was available Tuesday about the allegation of theft. The group moved Gonzalez to a couch, where McEleavy threatened to castrate him with the hedge clippers, Tita said. The Giordanos, Zambrana and McEleavy tied his hands with the pink dog leash, Tita said. A report said Garrett did not participate, but watched as Gonzalez was tied up and beaten. The group took Gonzalez to his apartment in Oldsmar, near the theater, so he could retrieve the jewelry, the report said. He broke free from Zambrana and ran toward the theater, his hands still bound in the leash, the report said. An off-duty Florida Highway Patrol trooper at the theater saw Gonzalez, whose face was red and bloody, Tita said. The trooper notified sheriff's deputies, who then had to chase down Zambrana and piece together the disconnected scene. At the Pinellas County Jail, Tita said, Zambrana had two pieces of jewelry in his shoes: a broken bracelet and a silver ring. Zambrana said Gonzalez had given him the jewelry, according to the report. - Staff writer Katherine Gazella can be reached at (727) 445-4182.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
