A tourist was held captive and tortured for several weeks inside a Manhattan home before managing to escape Friday morning and running for help, eventually leading to the arrest of his alleged kidnapper.
The 28-year-old man visiting from Italy met his alleged kidnapper on May 6. Law enforcement sources say that is when John Woeltz, 37, took the younger man to a home he was renting in Nolita.
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WATCH HEREInitially, sources said the case involved sexual torture but later clarified the two had some kind of money issue and there was no sexual component. Woeltz took the man's passport, tortured him and held him until the Italian man managed to escape more than two weeks later, the sources said.
Upon his escape, the 28-year-old ran into a traffic agent who called police to the home on Prince Street.
Officers arrested Woeltz and allegedly found a trove of evidence at the rented out home. Sources said they turned up multiple Polaroid picture of the victim being tied up and tortured. Investigators also reportedly recovered a gun and several torture items.
Detectives planned to speak with two butlers apparently working at the residence.
Law enforcement sources say Woeltz is a big-name crypto currency trader from Kentucky. He had reportedly been renting out the Prince Street residence at a monthly rate between $30,000-40,000.
U.S. & World
Woeltz was being held at the 5th Precinct. It was not immediately clear what charges he could be facing. Attorney contact information was not known.
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