Federal Jury Convicts Honduran National Of Kidnapping

The Defendant Was Previously Convicted of an Immigration Violation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that a federal jury sitting in Charlotte has convicted Luis Analberto Pineda-Anchecta, 38, a Honduran national, of kidnapping following a two-day trial. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. presided over the trial. 

Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Charlotte, and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents, evidence presented at trial and witness testimony, on or about May 15, 2019, CMPD officers arrested Pineda-Anchecta on several state charges, including Assault on a Female and Communicating Threats against his ex-girlfriend, identified in court documents as F.M. Two days following his arrest, Pineda-Anchecta was released from state custody on bond. As trial evidence established, in the evening of May 21, 2019, F.M. was approached by two masked men as she was walking to her vehicle parked at her apartment complex in Charlotte.  The victim recognized one of the masked men as Pineda-Anchecta, who proceeded to grab the victim by the arm, stuff a cloth in her mouth, and then wrap a cord or rope around her head so the cloth would stay in place.  Pineda-Anchecta and the other masked man forced F.M. against her will into the passenger seat of a vehicle, and Pineda-Anchecta told F.M. “I love you and I’m going to kill you.” According to trial evidence, the other masked individual did not accompany Pineda-Anchecta and F.M. in the vehicle.  

Pineda-Anchecta then drove his vehicle on Lancaster Highway. Trial evidence established that while Pineda-Anchecta was driving, he maintained a tight grip on the plastic rope tied around the victim’s face.  After traveling a short while on Lancaster Highway, Pineda-Anchecta parked his vehicle on the side of the road near a wooden area and turned off the vehicle’s engine.  Pineda-Anchecta maintained his grip on the plastic rope around F.M.’s face, and pulled the victim out of the car. Witness testimony revealed that Pineda-Anchecta dragged the victim to wooded area off of Lancaster Highway with which he was familiar, as the defendant had gone fishing there on previous occasions.

Following a struggle between Pineda-Anchecta and F.M., the victim was able to escape and run into the middle of the highway, and was assisted by motorists who stopped to offer help.  According to trial evidence, the victim identified Pineda-Anchecta as the person who had assaulted her. Pineda-Anchecta left the scene on foot. After obtaining a search warrant, CMPD officers searched Pineda-Anchecta’s vehicle, from which they recovered a spool of plastic rope similar to the rope wrapped around the victim’s face during the course of the kidnapping. Law enforcement also located the victim’s phone in Pineda-Anchecta’s vehicle.

Pineda-Anchecta is currently in federal custody.  He was previously convicted of illegal reentry by a deported alien, and, on January 7, 2020, he was sentenced to seven months in prison.  The kidnapping charge carries a maximum term of life in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.  

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray commended ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and CMPD for their investigation of this case. He also thanked ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for their assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Smith and Regina Pack, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, are prosecuting the case.