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The Brazil-born model was taken hostage along with her husband and kid at gunpoint in Sao Paulo.
US-based model Luciana Curtis (Image: Instagram/lucurtis)
A US-based model was kidnapped at gunpoint in Brazil along with her husband and their kid, and held hostage in a shack for 12 hours, the New York Post reported on Friday (local time).
The model was identified as Luciana Curtis, daughter of British businessman Malcolm Leo Curtis and a Brazilian teacher. She, her husband Henrique Gendre and their 11-year-old kid were ambushed on Wednesday night by a gang of armed men after they left a restaurant in Sao Paulo, the New York Post reported citing local outlet Gazeta.
How Did The Incident Take Place?
The 47-year-old model, who was born in Brazil and reportedly lives in New York but often visits Sao Paulo and London, were forced into their own car at gunpoint and driven to the shack in Brasilandia where they were held hostage for the night.
As per the visuals, the wooden shack only had a mattress, a sink and a toilet.
“The armed criminals approached the victims outside a restaurant and took them captive,” the New York Post quoted the police as saying in a statement.
During their captivity, the gang members transferred money from the couple’s bank accounts, the officials said, adding that they were eventually freed early on Thursday.
How Did Police Know About Kidnapping?
The incident came to light when the trio did not return home and their eldest child, who did not go for dinner, complained to the relatives as they did not return home. The relatives then informed the police about their missing.
“During the search by specialist police teams, the gang abandoned the family and fled,” the police said.
The trio called out for help from the locals who then cut them loose.
“The family has been released and they are safe and well,” a spokesperson for the model told local media outlets, as per New York Post.
Curtis has won the Brazilian final of Supermodel of the World in 1993 and has also featured on the covers of Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan magazines.
She has also modeled for Harrods, H&M, and Victoria’s Secret.
- Location :
New York, United States of America (USA)
