Two arrested for kidnapping and threatening to kill 13-year-old they allegedly caught breaking into their car, Ohio cops say

A couple was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 13-year-old they say they caught trying to rob their car, according to Ohio police.

Franklin County Municipal records say that 20-year-old Cece Prak and 21-year-old Zachary Boyd confronted the boy who they found in Prak's vehicle at their apartment in Columbus early Thursday morning. The boy told Columbus police that they assaulted him and kidnapped him at gunpoint.

At about 5:30 a.m., the boy's father received a phone call from a woman who demanded $3,000 to repair damages to the car, including the ignition switch. They said the boy would not be released until they received money via Cash App.

A SWAT team was called to rescue the child and arrested the two. The boy was found safe, and the couple was charged with first-degree felony kidnapping.

WBNS-TV reported that there was another vehicle in the same parking lot that had a window broken and it's ignition "torn apart."

Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Andrea Peeples warned against vigilante justice at a bond hearing Friday.

“I understand the minimal record, but we are definitely in the wild, wild West here with people taking justice into their own hands if the facts are to be believed," she said.

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein agreed.

“Don’t take justice into your own hands, but I do think it is evidence and a reflection of the frustration people have," he said. "They want to be able to maintain their livelihood, pay their bills, and they know that may not happen if their car is stolen.”

A third person, a juvenile, who was in the apartment was also charged with kidnapping.

The couple are each being held on a $500,000 bond.

Here's more about the arrests:

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