A Florida woman is in police custody after a scheme to kidnap her ex-boyfriend’s wife. Latrance Battle is facing multiple charges after pretending to be an ICE agent (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to pull off the whole thing! Authorities busted the 52-year-old after the woman she allegedly kidnapped escaped.
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ICE Agent Scheme Explained
The woman involved told police that Latrance Battle showed up at her workplace on April 10 and revealed herself to be an ICE agent. Battle allegedly wore a black shirt with the agency’s abbreviation on the front and carried a handheld radio. Additionally, Latrance even presented the victim with an alleged business card from the sheriff’s office to attempt the arrest.
The woman was quick to believe Latrance because, according to the Miami Herald, she’s reportedly in the process of becoming a legal U.S. resident. So, she complied when Battle ordered her to get in the car. Investigators said that the victim was “scared” and trying to avoid any trouble. When she tried to call her husband and lawyer in the car, Latrance Battle allegedly snatched her phone. She told the woman she’d get a call at the sheriff’s station.
Things became clearer for the wife after the fake “ICE agent” drove past the station and pulled up to an apartment complex. During the ride, Battle allegedly stepped into a unit, and at that time, the wife stepped off to a neighbor’s apartment seeking help. She obtained a phone and hid behind a car to make a call, and the neighbor later let the woman wait in his apartment. By the time police arrived, Latrance Battle had already stepped off.
What Happens Next To Latrance Battle?
When the woman described what happened to her husband, he suggested the fake ICE agent could be his ex-girlfriend. Two years ago, Battle reportedly assaulted him, which led him to file a restraining order against her. The details of that incident are still scarce.
Police finally caught up with Latrance a few days later in Fountain as she tried to flee towards Alabama. Officers arrested her, and she faces kidnapping in the commission of a felony, robbery by sudden snatching, impersonating a LEO in the commission of a felony, and felony violation of probation. On April 21, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office shared video footage of officers pulling over Latrance Battle and detaining her.
