Two tourists abducted, robbed after leaving Downtown Disney

[Wilt Dasney]

Here's another story that says it happened in a parking lot. That really doesn't clear up much. Was it the DTD parking lot or their hotel parking lot? :shrug:

http://www.nbc30.com/news/13475291/detail.html

Osceola County, Fla. -- A young Branford couple visiting Disney World narrowly escaped serious injured early Sunday morning after they were kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to withdraw money from an ATM, police said.

Police said the couple, Jessica Dellacamera and Justin Stetzer, was walking back to their hotel room after shopping at Downtown Disney just after midnight. As they were walking through the parking lot a man sitting in a Volkswagen Jetta, asked them a question, police said.

When the couple stopped to respond they were forced into the car at gunpoint, police said. The car was occupied by two other suspects, police said.

According to police, the couple was driven around for approximately 15 minutes, until they arrived at a gas station.

The male victim and one of the suspects went into the business where the victim was forced to withdraw money from an ATM.

Police said they returned to the car and drove around until making another stop at an unknown location.

The victims, still being held at gunpoint, were then driven to a remote location near a landfill in Osceola County, Fla.

Police said, once at that location, the suspects battered the couple, which began to fight back.

Police said that at some point during the fight, the male victim was struck in the head with the handgun.

The gun discharged apparently causing the suspects to panic and flee leaving the victims stranded.

Police said the couple was able to walk to a nearby home on Creekside Blvd. in Kissimmee where residents inside the home called the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

Both victims received some bumps and bruises as a result of this incident, police said.

According to police, the suspects were able to get away with the cash taken from the ATM withdrawal and the purchases the couple had made while shopping at Downtown Disney.

Police said the primary suspect is a white or Hispanic male, 25- to 28-years-old, 6-feet tall, 180 pounds, with a short sleeved shirt.

Police said a second suspect is a skinny black male, and the third suspect is a white male, 5' 9", 160 pounds, mid 20's, wearing a white t-shirt and armed with a hand gun.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A young couple returning from a shopping trip at Downtown Disney were abducted after they stopped to answer a question of a man as they walked through their hotel parking lot just after midnight Sunday morning.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13475227/detail.html

Guess that answers that.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Or not...

According to the Orange County Sheriffs Office, a man in a black Volkswagen Jetta called out a question to the couple, who were staying at a Disney resort, as they walked through the parking lot at the entertainment-and-shopping hotspot.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...y0610,0,5284631.story?coll=orl-home-headlines


Put it all together and it sounds like it might have been a parking lot for one of the DTD-area resorts.

 

[bhg469]

Sad to hear this. i always thought jetta owners were hippies. glad the couple was fine but damn that had to be scary being taken to a landfill... It was such a bad move to go away from the public though, This past winter my friend was mugged and we held the scumbags until police came, that was a dumb move too.

a word of advice to anyone. Just give them what you have on you and if the people are in a car they arent gonna get out and chase you, run towards the back of the car cause unless they are a LMA stunt driver they arent catching up to you in reverse before you are safe and blindspots on a car count for shooters in the car too.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

If it was the parking lot for any Disney owned and operated resort, the Jetta would have had to pass - twice - through a security gate, so I concur it must have been the parking lot to a Hotel Blvd. hotel... but then why would Disney be working with them to assist in their immediate needs? One of the articles quotes Disney spokeswoman Suarez who states the couple was indeed staying at a Disney resort... which would mean it probably happened in the DTD parking lot..

Confusing story. I hope one of the news outlets gets their facts straight and we can figure this one out.

 

[Champion]

If it was the parking lot for any Disney owned and operated resort, the Jetta would have had to pass - twice - through a security gate, so I concur it must have been the parking lot to a Hotel Blvd. hotel... but then why would Disney be working with them to assist in their immediate needs? One of the articles quotes Disney spokeswoman Suarez who states the couple was indeed staying at a Disney resort... which would mean it probably happened in the DTD parking lot..

Confusing story. I hope one of the news outlets gets their facts straight and we can figure this one out.

Because the hotels on hotel plaza boulevard are on Disney property, and they will of course try to help guests that something like this happens to while on their property.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

Because the hotels on hotel plaza boulevard are on Disney property, and they will of course try to help guests that something like this happens to while on their property.

But would a Disney spokesperson refer to the hotels on Hotel Blvd. as a 'Disney resort'?

 

[Champion]

But would a Disney spokesperson refer to the hotels on Hotel Blvd. as a 'Disney resort'?

Could be a misquote.

I suppose it could be Saratoga Springs, but I doubt it.

 

[Ringo8n24]

I could see that happening in the Grosvenor's parking lot after our stay there a few weeks ago. I have stayed at hotels during spring breaks at Daytona that had less illegal activity than that place. I am going to stick to taking a bus or boat straight back to my trusty hotel when leaving DTD.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

Could be a misquote.

I suppose it could be Saratoga Springs, but I doubt it.

I doubt it as well. The walking paths between DTD and Saratoga don't pass any roads that are accessible to the public - only to SSR guests, so the Jetta would have had to go past security twice...

 

[PhotoDave219]

disney should've kicked the gunpointer out of WDW
sad

Uh, it's Downtown Disney. :brick:

There's no security checks to go shopping.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Uh, it's Downtown Disney. :brick:

There's no security checks to go shopping.

Yet... :lookaroun

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I am going to stick to taking a bus or boat straight back to my trusty hotel when leaving DTD.

Makes a lot of sense

 

[PhotoDave219]

But would a Disney spokesperson refer to the hotels on Hotel Blvd. as a 'Disney resort'?

Maybe because it's WDW property, part of the WDW Resort and houses the governmental agencies that comprise the RCID?

I mean that would be 100% accurate, describing a part of Disney property at WDW as the "Disney Resort," right?

 

[unkadug]

The way I read it is that they were walking back to their resort, but still in the DTD parking area when the abduction occurred.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

The way I read it is that they were walking back to their resort, but still in the DTD parking area when the abduction occurred.

That's how I interpreted it as well, which is why I immediately thought that they were staying at SSR.

I'm a bit disturbed about the number of people who thought right away that they were making this up to make a "quick buck" off of Disney. I mean, jeez, the people were assaulted for heaven's sake. None of the victims have made any comments yet about suing Disney or anyone else. I don't understand why anyone would think that their story is anything less than genuine.

 

[dixiegirl]

Yet... :lookaroun

Come to think of it I am quite surprised that they don't have bag security checks at DTD , but like you said ..yet... all in time I suppose..

 

[NCState]

That's horrible, I hate to hear it happened but I must say that,for some reason, my wife and I just don't feel comfortable at Downtown Disney after dark, especially Westside. I can't really give you any " concrete" reasons, it's just a feeling we get. Between that and all of the horrible cigarette smoke it has gotten to the point where we don't even care to go to Downtown Disney on our trips. I still like to go and at least spend a few hours at World of Disney, Once Upon A Christmas and the Art Of Disney Store but beyond that we have no desire to go there. I have to beg my wife just to go to World Of Disney for a few hours. I'm just glad to hear the couple are OK. Anyone else feel the way we do about Downtown Disney or are we just a couple of freaks? :shrug:

I feel the same as you, I wouldn't go to DTD or off-site during night hours period. I guess that's why I live in a "Mayberry Town" and just don't feel good in the big cities during the night hours.

 

[Krozar]

I agree. People should not jump to that conclusion in this case.

The fact that it's already in the media means that Disney would not give them a pay off. And they can't ever beat Disney in court. They don't have a case anyways because I don't see how Disney could be held liable.

BTW it's a good idea to give them what they want. But NEVER EVER get into their car. I wish defense training was compulsory. A good trainer can make all this work at the sub-conscious level. If a perp points a gun point-blank to someone's back, a trained person will instantly roll to the side, grab their forearm, twist their wrist, have control of the gun while kneeing the perp in the face. It's instant and bypasses the freezing reaction that fear can produce.

Glad to see they are OK. Doesn't happen often once inside the perp's car.

 

[WDW-LUVR]

That's horrible, I hate to hear it happened but I must say that,for some reason, my wife and I just don't feel comfortable at Downtown Disney after dark, especially Westside. I can't really give you any " concrete" reasons, it's just a feeling we get. Between that and all of the horrible cigarette smoke it has gotten to the point where we don't even care to go to Downtown Disney on our trips. I still like to go and at least spend a few hours at World of Disney, Once Upon A Christmas and the Art Of Disney Store but beyond that we have no desire to go there. I have to beg my wife just to go to World Of Disney for a few hours. I'm just glad to hear the couple are OK. Anyone else feel the way we do about Downtown Disney or are we just a couple of freaks? :shrug:

I agree 100% I LOVE DTD (I should say Market Place) and seem pretty comfortable there at night. But Plesure Island and West Side NO WAY!!! About 4 yrs ago brought a Dsiney Newbee to DTD so she could check out DTD at night and WOW :lookaroun Market place was the same as during the day with the exception of the night time lights. But Plesure Island and West Side Both Horrifed us. The rude comments, impropriate behavior, we didn't feel like we were at Disney anymore, and We haven't been back there since, and I recommend to anyone I know not go. So I think you and your wife are a couple freaks. I really really beleave that disney needs to revamp these 2 spots, who knows maybe this is the reason that Disney Quest hasn't been a BIG hit.:shrug: