Man accused of kidnapping family in Fresno makes first court appearance

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A man accused of kidnapping a family in Fresno made his first appearance in court on Wednesday.

Friday morning, a man flagged down Fresno police near Maple and Central avenues.

"The Hispanic male was distraught, and he had given us information that his family had been abducted," explained Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama.

Balderrama says the victim told police he paid money for his family to be taken across the border and dropped off in Fresno.

When they arrived, he says the man he paid for the task demanded more money.

That man is said to be 31-year-old Cristian Guadalupe Ortiz Coronado from New Mexico.

The victim who alerted police said they were able to pull a 4-year-old girl from the car before it drove off but that his wife, their 8-year-old son, and two men were still inside.

Police were eventually able to lure Coronado to southwest Fresno, where he was arrested Friday night.

Coronado now faces charges of kidnapping for ransom and child abuse.

Legal expert Tony Capozzi says the kidnapping charges alone could see Coronado spending decades in prison -- if he's convicted.

"Kidnapping itself that the statute requires states that its life with the possibility of parole," said Capozzi.

Beyond the charges Coronado faces in Fresno County, Capozzi says he could face federal charges pressed for bringing the family over the border.

"There is a federal offense for transporting someone across state lines who is sneaking into the country to gain access. That's a federal offense, and the penalty is somewhere around five years. It can vary, but it's around five years."

Coronado is due back in court for arraignment on September 13.

He is being held on no bail.

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