Man kidnaps wife at knifepoint,
takes young daughter, resists arrest

February 20, 2015
Santa Paula News

A man kidnapped his wife at knifepoint, took their young daughter and later when he showed up at their residence was greeted by Santa Paula Police who had to taser the subject when he tried to use the child as a shield.

According to Santa Paula Police Commander Ish Cordero, the incident began earlier in the day on February 17 when Dennis Tormos-Colon, 29, “lured” his estranged 27-year-old wife to a location using the cell phone of his victim’s relative. 

“Once she reached the location he got in the car, batters her,” striking her in the face causing bleeding and bruising, “and shows her the knife... he made her drive to another location,” where Cordero said he took her debit card to withdraw funds.

“He took her against her will to point a to point b and that constitutes a kidnap charge.” 

Cordero said “Somewhere along the line she was able to leave but before they separated he took their 3 1/2 year old girl - it appears it was more by force, such as I’m taking my kid with me whether you like it or not - that had been in the car the whole time,” the mother was being brutalized.

She went back to their apartment on the 200 block of West Harvard Boulevard and called police and while officers were speaking with her at about 7:30 p.m., Cordero said Tormos-Colon, “Showed up with the kid... “

Officers advised Tormos-Colon “multiple times he needed to let the daughter go in the house with her mom so officers could talk to him in private. 

“He did not comply,” said Cordero and instead started to use the child as a “shield” to prevent confrontation or arrest. 

A SPPD Officer attempted a control hold and Tormos-Colon “hunched over his daughter, pulling out a steak knife from inside his sleeve. The other officer observed the knife and in fear for the safety of the child grabbed a hold of the other hand holding the knife.”

A struggle ensued and Tormos-Colon, who had sat down when he saw officers, “stood up from the chair and began actively resisting officers,” while holding onto the knife. 

An officer, “in fear for their lives” grabbed the man to take control but he continued to try to pull away and attempted to climb into another apartment through a window that had been broken during the struggle.

One officer was able to grab the other officer’s taser from his belt and tased Tormos-Colon. 

“He stopped actively resisting, dropped the knife and allowed officers to take him to the ground and place him in handcuff restraints.”

Cordero said no one else was injured in the struggle and the child was unharmed. 

Tormos-Colon was transported to the hospital for complaints of pain to his neck and later transported to Ventura County Main Jail and booked on charges of suspicion of corporal injury to spouse, resisting arrest with violence, kidnap and possession of a dirk or dagger. 

Bail was set at $115,00.00.

Cordero said child endangerment charges are also being considered.

“The couple is going through custody and divorce issues, that’s what it stemmed from,” and police have had previous contact with Tormos-Colon.

Cordero noted that Officers Dan Gosselin and Thomas Ip responded to what is the most dangerous call for a police officer, domestic dispute.

“These domestic calls that turn violent are the most dangerous to police officers,” a situation Cordero knows from experience.

“I was a victim years ago... a domestic disturbance call, the father was holding a baby in a dangerous manner, he turned on us and we tried to get him in a control hold. 

“He was much bigger,” said Cordero, “and broke my leg. Domestic calls are always the same situation but they can turn out much differently.”





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