Second person charged with kidnapping, assault in Moberly hostage case
MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A second person has been with two felonies related to a hostage case on Sept. 20 in Moberly.
Allison Escobar, 33, of Columbia, was charged on Friday with first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault. She is being held at the Randolph County Jail on a $100,000 bond. A court date has not been set.
Ricky Morgan Jr., 37, of Moberly was charged on Sept. 21 with first-degree kidnapping, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Court records show that he posted a $100,000 bond on Thursday, Sept. 26. His next hearing is 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18.
According to a probable cause statement filed on Friday, a woman called a man on Sept. 20, allegedly saying that she was being held against her will because she stole $3,000 from someone. The statement says that two people would not let her leave unless the man brought $3,000 and left it in the victim’s vehicle.
Police were notified and they learned Morgan was in the residence, along with a second person, according to court documents in previous reporting. Moberly police arrived in the area and gave the man a “bait envelope,” the statement says. The man dropped the envelope in the vehicle and sent a text message stating the money was in the vehicle, court documents say.
Morgan allegedly stuck his head out of the front door and let the woman walk outside, court documents say. Morgan and another person were ordered out of the residence by police and Morgan was eventually detained.
The victim allegedly said they were at a residence with Escobar and Morgan when a wallet with $3,000 went missing, the Friday probable cause statement says.
Police wrote that the woman had injuries on her face. She allegedly told law enforcement that Morgan threatened her with a gun on multiple occasions and feared he was going to kill her, previous court documents say. Police found three guns in the residence, court documents say.
The probable cause statement filed on Friday says that Escobar also hit the victim in the victim in the head and face. She allegedly admitted to being at the residence and slapping the victim, court documents say.
