RUSKIN, Fla. — A 21-year-old man has been arrested and charged after allegedly kidnapping his ex-girlfriend in a calculated attack involving a GPS tracking device, officials say.
At approximately 3:22 a.m. on May 27th, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a potential kidnapping at a residence on the 1900 block of 33rd Street Southeast in Ruskin, just south of Tampa.
Investigators quickly identified the suspect as Julian Jaramillo, 21, who had placed a tracking device inside his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle to monitor her location. When she exited the home, Jaramillo allegedly stole her car keys by force, then forced her into the trunk of her own vehicle before fleeing the scene.
He then drove the vehicle to his home in Palmetto, Florida, where he held the victim against her will. Fortunately, Hillsborough deputies, working in coordination with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, located the suspect and stopped him as he was leaving his neighborhood. The victim, who was in the vehicle at the time, suffered minor injuries.
Jaramillo was taken into custody and is facing multiple charges, including:
Carjacking
Kidnapping
Battery – Domestic Violence
Installation of a Tracking Device
“Domestic violence cases involving kidnapping are some of the most dangerous situations we encounter,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “We will do everything we can, including working with other agencies, to protect victims of domestic violence and hold abusers like this one accountable.”
Jaramillo was booked into the Manatee County Jail and is awaiting extradition back to Hillsborough County for further legal proceedings.
