Kidnap victim released

KIDNAPPED St Joseph businessman Joey Alexander — a director in his family’s foreign-used car business Nakayama Motors — was released unharmed yesterday near the Aranjuez Villas.

Recalling the ordeal to Newsday as he relaxed at home with his relieved girlfriend Crystal Toppin and their nine-month-old daughter Jeniah, Alexander said, “I thank God for my life.”

Tired and weak from his ordeal, Alexander said he believed his prayers kept him alive and ultimately led to his freedom.

“For every day I remained kidnapped I prayed. It was God that kept me alive and had me freed,” Alexander said during the interview at his Hutton Street, St Joseph home.

The 21-year-old man was kidnapped as he dropped off Toppin at her St Helena home last Thursday. A ransom of $1million was demanded from his family.

At about 1.45 am yesterday, a driver found Alexander wandering near the Aranjuez Villas and took him home.

“I did not believe I was ever going to see my family again. Now that I have, my whole life would change.”

Recalling his kidnapping, Alexander — a member of a Full Gospel church — said he had serious reservations about going out on the night he was snatched. He said he was sitting in the car waiting for Toppin to go into her home when he spotted a silver car approaching.

“The next thing I know guns were pointed in my face and a mask placed over my head. I felt hands dragging me away and I heard a car speed off,” Alexander said.

Alexander said his abductors fed him biscuits, bread and cheese and water. “At no time did my kidnappers talk to me or told me where I was. But I was treated okay by them.”

He said sometime later the mask was removed and while under orders to keep his eyes shut, his jersey was used to block his face. Describing his release, Alexander said he was taken to another place but was still handcuffed and blindfolded. The kidnappers removed the cuffs and ordered him not to take the jersey off his face. They then sped off.

His mother Indra Alexander, said two years ago, another son — Jerry — was almost snatched, but he managed to escape. She said that no ransom was paid to the kidnappers. Up to late yesterday no arrests had been made and investigations are continuing.