Tri-Cities man accused of kidnapping his girlfriend, then pointing a gun at her brother
A Tri-Cities man is in jail accused of an attempted kidnapping at a Kennewick apartment complex on July 4.
Anthony Victor Cortez, 22, of Pasco, is accused of trying to kidnap a woman he was dating and steal her phone, as well as pointing a gun at her brother when he tried to step in.
He is being held in the Benton County jail on suspicion of kidnapping, second-degree assault and theft, including domestic violence allegations. He is also accused of one count of second-degree assault.
He was arrested early Wednesday at an apartment on the 2500 block of West Park Avenue in Pasco.
The incident began around 10:30 p.m. on July 4 when Cortez came to pick up the woman to take her to a function, according to court documents.
The woman told investigators Cortez, who was waiting outside in his car, became upset when she told him she was not feeling well, and didn’t want to go.
After some arguing, she told investigators she went outside and got in Cortez’s car to talk with him. She said Cortez did not believe she was sick and began accusing her of talking to another man. He allegedly grabbed her phone and began looking through it, getting more upset about a message from a co-worker.
Cortez refused to give the phone back, and they both got out of the car, according to the court documents. He still refused to give back her phone and attempted to leave, locking the doors of the car.
The woman said she was able to get into the backseat to try to get her phone, but Cortez pulled her out of the car. Investigators said the woman had bruising and cuts on her legs and ankles.
The woman told investigators she tried to grab his ankles while she was still on the ground, then decided she didn’t need her phone back and tried to run.
That’s when she says Cortez chased her up the stairs and grabbed her and carried her back to the car. She tried to hold onto the railing and was telling him to stop, she said.
Cortez then allegedly drove off with her in the car, parking at a church across the street.
When she got out of the car and tried to walk away multiple times, he grabbed her shirt and kept her there. She eventually was able to ran back toward her apartment, screaming for her older brother to help.
She said Cortez already had driven back to the apartment and was waiting for her. She said Cortez told her he wouldn’t return her phone because it was broken and tried to pick her up again. She told investigators she was able to push on his face until she got free.
Investigators say that about this time the victim’s brother heard the commotion and came running out. Cortez allegedly sped off, hitting the brother’s elbow with his car. The brother told investigators he didn’t think Cortez was trying to hit him, just to get away, showed court documents.
Cortez allegedly circled the parking lot and got back out, challenging the brother to a fight. The victim’s brother told investigators he saw Cortez pointing a gun at him from waist level. Investigators said the woman was hyperventilating at this point and could not confirm she saw Cortez pull the gun, but did tell them she remembered seeing it in his center console.
Pasco police found Cortez at his home a short time later. Investigators say they saw a 9mm pistol in the center console of Cortez’s vehicle as they approached the residence, according to the court documents.
Cortez told investigators he grabbed the woman’s phone, but did not pull her out of the car. He also said he picked her up on the stairs and carried her back to the car, but this behavior and looking through her phone was something he had done before and that it was not against her will.
Cortez also claimed the woman attacked him in the car, and even grabbed the gun and pointed it at him. He then tried to say the gun was in his house, not the car, but recanted after being told him it was visible when police arrived.
Cortez’s bail is set at $100,000.
