“Sunland Park Police Station: Kidnapped Man Reveals Plan to Kill Him in Juarez”
Court documents recently obtained by ABC-7 reveal details of an alleged kidnapping attempt in southern New Mexico. According to the documents, a group of men forcibly pulled the victim, Ramon Diaz, from his home. Among the group was 25-year-old Yulian Lopez Polanco, a resident of Canutillo, who is named in the arrest documents. Investigators report that the group assaulted Diaz using their hands, feet, and bolt cutters. The incident was captured on video and shared on social media, which helped investigators identify Lopez Polanco. He later admitted to “battering and assisting in the kidnapping” of Diaz.
Lopez Polanco told the Sunland Park Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division that he was threatened by a man named Cesar Chavez-Lujan, who ordered him to participate in the alleged kidnapping. ABC-7 is actively seeking more information regarding Chavez-Lujan.
The court documents indicate that the kidnapping attempt occurred on April 29, 2024. On that same day, Diaz’s son reported him missing. Later, Diaz walked into the Sunland Park Police Station, stating that he had just been released from the hospital, where he was treated for rib fractures and cuts on his face and body. The reports do not clarify how Diaz managed to escape from his captors and reach the hospital.
At the police station, Diaz informed officers that his alleged kidnappers had placed him in a car after assaulting him. They reportedly intended to take him to Juarez to kill him, according to the court documents.
Jail records indicate that El Paso County law enforcement officers arrested Lopez Polanco on a drug possession charge in May. He remained in the El Paso Jail Annex until being transferred to the Dona Ana County Detention Facility today, where he is currently being held without bond. Lopez Polanco faces charges of kidnapping and aggravated battery, which may cause death or great bodily harm, according to jail records.
