An Illinois man’s plan to abduct a boy from Fort Lauderdale was stopped when federal agents arrested him before he could travel to Florida. Devontay Shields, 35, from Danville, was detained at Chicago's Union Station with zip ties and children's toys, according to a criminal complaint filed Sunday.
Reportedly, Shields detailed his scheme to kidnap a "little boy" for a $100,000 ransom, and the targets appeared to be youths from affluent families. Shield's sinister strategy was laid bare: “All we got to do is grab one of the kids and hold them but it got to be a smaller kid because we can convince them with candy and toys when we take them from the school.” His rationale for choosing the particular school, as reported by CBS 12, was because "All the parents is rich there I sent you what they pay for each child bro."
Shields initially planned to travel to Miami, before heading north to Fort Lauderdale. Hindered by the agents at the Chicago train station, Shields was found carrying not just the ominous zip ties, but also a "Lankybox" stuffed toy, and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure, signaling his preparedness for luring a child.
The investigation that led to Shields' arrest involved a cooperating defendant and a Justice Dept. source, which disclosed their interactions last Monday, November 11, according to NBC Miami. Shields allegedly made incriminating statements in his effort to secure a ransom, outlining his intentions to "get me a little boy" and his need for $1,000 to somebody whom he believed to be an accomplice, but was in fact colluding with law enforcement.
Purchases made by Shields in the days leading up to his arrest included not only the toys and zip ties, but also a BB gun and arrangements for lodging and travel, with the ransom's demand heightening the gravity of his preparations. When confronted by investigators post-arrest, Shields first directed blame at his brother-in-law, claiming ignorance of the kidnapping plot and describing the traveling and such tools as gifts for his nephew, further admitted later, however, that he had indeed obtained those items himself.
Facing charges of attempted kidnapping, Shields, if convicted, could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
