He says during their 40-hour ordeal, he received more of the abuse than Ani did, and he thinks he knows why. Upon entry, the SWAT team sees two individuals. Cops believe the students were rescued in the nick of time. "I only made it about halfway across the room before I felt something like being pressed up to the side of my upper leg, and then the next thing I remember is just being on the ground.". Neither of them are making it easy for investigators. Fourth UR abduction defendant accepts plea. Kollias and Ewo were sexually assaulted,. Find the girls and maybe they'll find the boys. Police said Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, Illinois, and Ani Okeke Ewo, of Aurora, Illinois, were abducted and held hostage, and one suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. He also had shards of glass embedded in his eardrum when a light bulb was smashed on his head. Rochester student recalls torture, sex abuse in kidnapping "They tied up our hands and legs and dragged Ani and I into this bathroom," said Nicholas Kollias. Nothing seemed unusual or abnormal.". Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo were last seen around 2 a.m. Saturday near the school. Copy Link Copy Link Summary; 2 former friends, football players, and frat brothers, get kidnapped, assaulted, and help captive for 40 hours. "The house just lit up and just shook," said Nicholas. However, it turned out to be a trap. Few details have been released about the case so far, and even the defense attorneys of some of the suspects say they haven't received a full story about what happened. Crime Watch Daily contacted the University of Rochester. The other four take their chances at trial. I was thinking about my family, parents and God. "They were extremely organized," said Nicholas. The two friends were the. "It was dark out and from the outside it seemed like a decent house," said Nicholas. Rolldan and Lora were at the house where the students were held captive but did not participate in the torture, according to the report. Rolldan and Lora reportedly guarded the abducted students, until SWAT teams rescued the two on Sunday. The New York Daily Newsreports Kollias has since graduated and moved back to the Chicago area, where he still undergoes physical therapy twice a week and works in financial services. The following day, a police SWAT team entered the house, rescuing the students, and nine people were eventually arrested and charged in the horrific incident. On Wednesday, four people were sentenced in the December 2015 abduction and torture of two University of Rochester students, the Washington Post reports. But then Kollias described being jarred by the sound of multiple explosions. "I just remember like touching my head and having all this blood just coming down everywhere," said Nicholas. Disfruta de ms de 90.000 audiolibros y podcasts originales durante tu mes de prueba. Of the nefarious nine suspects, five end up taking plea deals, including Samantha Hughes and Leah Gigliotti, the women who lured Nicholas and Ani to the house that night. Now in the bedroom with Ani, surviving is what Nicholas is desperately trying to do. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Kollias was shot in his legs. In December 2015, Nicholas Kollias and fellow senior Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochester football players, were kidnapped near the New York campus. "At this point I got clubbed over the head, put on the ground. 2 University of Rochester students from Aurora, Northbrook abducted 00:11 EDT 12 Dec 2015. Nicholas and his fellow teammate and fraternity brother Ani Okeke Ewo are hanging out when Ani gets messaged on social media. Lydell Strickland: Two counts of first-degree gang assault, six counts of first-degree robbery, twocounts of second-degree robbery, nine counts of first-degree predatory sexual assault, first-degree criminal use of a firearm and multiple counts of third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Five men and four women, all Rochester-area residents in their late teens and early 20s, were convicted of kidnapping and other crimes. Nicholas is now trying to move on with his life. Image source: University of Rochester Athletics, Amanda Pflugrad Age, Husband, Career, and Other Facts, Joao Maleck Five Fast Facts About The Rising Star, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Sade is a contributor with a bias on Nigerian stars, Lexie Bigham How He Began, What He Did, How He Died, Jessi Nakles Heres Everything We Know About Her, What Became of Sean Caracena And Cause Of His Death, Simon Jacques Bio, Career Highlights, Cause of Death, Martell Lane: How He Started And How He Died. "At that point I got up, trying to run for the exit,"Nicholas Kollias, now 22, testified Thursday about the attack that precipitated the hours of torture he and classmate,AniOkekeEwo, were subjected to over a December 2015 weekend. Nikolaos Kollias ( Greek: ; born in Selitsa, Voio) was a Greek revolutionary and soldier. A SWAT team rescuedKollias and Ewo that Sunday night from a home some four miles from the Rochester college campus. Police: 2 New York college students abducted, held hostage UR abduction case:Mistaken identity may have led abductors to UR students. The monsters return early the next morning for more. "First of all both phones were turned off. "My body was in such bad shape," said Nicholas Kollias. University of Rochester Public Safety officers and Rochester Police know the clock is ticking. University of Rochester abduction case: Student describes torture Six arrested for allegedly kidnapping, beating University of Rochester Jurors also heard audiotapes of phone calls that Kollias said he was forced to make on Saturday and Sunday to his financial institutions, seeking to raise his credit lines or get access to investment accounts. The Democrat and Chronicle reports that. Associated Press What Nicholas doesn't know is that the cavalry is on the way. ", "We rolled the dice on the first house we hit was the correct one," said Peters. The pair of ladies were high and drunk, with Hughes having taken weed and Gigliotti snorting cocaine, although they passed some booze back to Ewo and Kollias to get them high before setting off. 13:40 EDT 11 Dec 2015 Criminal indictments unsealed Wednesday in the kidnapping of two University ofRochester football players add multiple counts of predatory sexual assault as well as firearms chargesagainst at least two of the defendants. Niko Kollias, victim in UR abduction case, describes torture Nicholas Kollias and his college buddy spent nearly two days in hell, held captive, tortured, even shot. Get In Touch. He also filed a $10 million lawsuit against those convicted in the abduction. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. One of them is heard begging for his life. "As they go through the door, they look in there and sure enough, there's the two football players sitting on the floor," said Peters. In the moments after Ewo and Kollias arrived, the house went dark and a group of masked men pounced on the pair, binding them in duct tape and taking them into a bathroom. The gang members arrested were Lydell Strickland, 26, Dennis Perez, 23, Leah Gigliotti, 20, Samantha Hughes, 19, Inalia Rolldan,19, and David Alcaraz-Ubiles. All rights Reserved. Koblas, Nikolai - The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous It shows males can be survivors as well. Are they getting closer to finding the boys? Three others also have pleaded guilty. Friends and family contact the University of Rochester Department of Public Safety, which alerts Rochester Police. He also had shards of glass embedded in his eardrum when a light bulb was smashed on his head. "Our kidnapped students appear to be the innocent victims of a horrendous crime," Seligman said. The video they shot is graphic. In this undated photo provided by the University of Rochester, Ani Okeke Ewo poses for a photo. It was not just about money, but revenge. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "They put flammable liquids on us, saying they were going to light us on fire," he said. David Alcaraz-Ubiles:First-degreecriminal use of a firearm, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. A SWAT team rescuedKollias and Ewo that Sunday night from a home some four miles from the Rochester college campus. PICTURED: The six accused of abducting two Rochester students This is the story Ani Okeke, a victim of abduction and abuse. Inalia Rolldan was indicted on two counts of second-degree kidnapping but not assault charges. University of Rochester students abducted, held hostage Over the next 40 hours, the pair were repeatedly tortured and sexually abused, including being cut with knives and a chainsaw and being doused with flammable liquids. By That robbery led a group of drug dealers to abduct two other UR football players, Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, in a case of mistaken identity. So it was definitely a case of mistaken identity," said Scott Peters. Ani Okeke Ewo was abducted along with Nicholas Kollias back in 2015 and tortured in a drug-related revenge attack. Seminole is located at 2750?19?N 8247?6?W / 27.83861N 82.785W / 27.83861; -82.785 (27.838502, -82.784913). They drove into a rougher area of town and the guys got a little worried, but they still followed the two women into a house. "My life was put in jeopardy on numerous occasions all because of Isaiah getting bailed out, and poor decision-making on many university officials.". These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. It does not store any personal data. They just looked like they had been through hell. "They were in a nice car. Police: 4 women and 2 men charged in U of R students' kidnapping - News - Fairport-E.Rochester Post - Fairport, NY. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. One had been shot in the leg ahead of the rescue. Rochester College Students Rescued After Kidnapping - NewsOne In partnership with In announcing the charges, police in Rochester, N.Y., did not provide any further details on the alleged kidnapping of Ani Okeke Ewo, of Naperville, a football player for the University of. He still has a titanium rod in his left leg and a bullet lodged in his right calf. "For me playing sports and especially football was a huge aspect in my life. Shooting on Easter: 'It's Heart Wrenching', Suspect in Louisville Shooting Identified as 25-Year-Old Employee Connor Sturgeon: Police, the abduction of two University of Rochester students. The mugshots of the six young men and women accused of kidnapping two University of Rochester athletes were released on Friday, nearly a week after they allegedly lured the two men to an apartment and held them captive for 40 hours of terror. And one of Ewo's high school football coaches says he's heard that the two thought they were going to a party when they came across the gang of kidnappers, according to ABC 13. During the trial, Strickland was said to be the mastermind and was given a 155-year sentence, with Rivera being given 35 years. "I didn't know what was going on," said Nicholas. Nicholas Kollias (left) and Ani Okeke Ewo (right), both 21, were abducted on Saturday and rescued from a home near campus the next day. He also filed a $10 million lawsuit against those convicted in the abduction. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both 21-year-old students, were lured to a house several miles from campus for what they believed was a party. Inalia Rolldan, (also known as Sky), 19, gang member; Nicholas Kollias (Nick), 21, student football player (U. of Rochester) and classically trained pianist; Ani Okeke Ewo (Ani), 21, student football player (U. of Rochester). Several masked men brandish guns, knivesand chainsaws as they threaten and taunt the two students, who lie bleeding and injured on a bathroom floor. Police said they were targeted by their assailants. They were instead held . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. For 40 hours, Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo were tied up in a bedroom in the house at 22 Harvest Street in Rochester. "I was just kind of feeling worse, not optimistic at all that we would be found.". On December 4, 2015, Ani and Kollias were hanging out with their friends from the football team, when they were approached by a lady Samantha Hughes, who tried to friend the two players on Facebook earlier in the week. Kollias and Ewo were lured to the Harvest Street home by two women they did not know late one Friday night. 'I can tell you that my client was misled in her alleged helping of getting them there,' he said. "That's when these individuals were holding me at gunpoint and they were making me call all these different financial institutions to get my withdrawal limits increased, and doing whatever they could to get money out of my accounts," said Nicholas. As the investigation begins, cops find a stomach-churning video on one of the violent kidnapper's cellphones. Copyright 2022 Rolling Out. Alcaraz-Ubilies is accused of kidnapping, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Authorities later said they had been targeted in a case of mistaken identityafter marijuana dealers were beaten and robbed by someone else at Ewo's apartment a month earlier. All six suspects are due in court on Friday for a preliminary hearing. Once inside, Kollias said, the assault began. Outside of court Thursday afternoon, Prosecutor Matthew Schwartz wouldn't say whether Ewo planned to testify, and declined to identify other potential witnesses he might call. ", "At first I was kind of scared because there was more individuals just covered in body armor and these huge guns, I was just terrified," said Nicholas. Perhaps, had the campus authorities had not ignored Smiths drug dealing due to his talent on the football field, then Ewo and his friend wouldnt have suffered any of the events. SWAT Team Rescues Forcibly Abducted College Students - Newsweek Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I got up as fast as I could and tried running to the side door," said Nicholas. Police said Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, Illinois, who was shot, and Ani Okeke Ewo,. I was thinking about my family, parents and God. The investigation into the students disappearances is ongoing. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The two were dragged into a bathroom and tortured for hours. Six arraigned in kidnapping of college students | News After pulling Isaac Smith (Ewos teammate who also deals with drugs) and the two ladies for interrogation, the ladies were cracked and they gave up the real address where the two players were being held. Lydell Strickland, David Alcaraz-Ubiles, Inalia Rolldan andRuth Loraare now on trial for alleged roles in the abduction and subsequent brutality. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. ", What happened: Timeline of NY college student kidnapping, In court, UR abduction suspect threatens to 'knock out' his lawyer, UR students' abduction: 'The victims were terrorized repeatedly', ESPN to feature former UR football player who was abducted, tortured. "I mean obviously he was in better shape than I was, he wasn't shot. Getting it right the first time could be the difference between life and death. "There was nothing I could do, and then I just remember getting hit over the head with a bat and I'm laying on the ground and these men are just screaming, just 'Don't fight us, just take it and don't try and escape,'" said Nicholas.