2 men held in kidnapping of A-Rod relative
A CASE involving a hot rod and A-Rod led to the arrest of two men for a botched kidnapping attempt, authorities said Thursday.
A man identified as a distant relative of ex-Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez (photo right) got in trouble with two men over a luxury car sale gone bad, according to cops.
The bizarre sequence began when a friend of 29-year-old victim Norberto Susini called 911 about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and said Susini was being held against his will in a room at the Marriott Marquis on Broadway near W. 45th St.
Sources close to the former Yankee said Rodriguez’s half-brother, Joe Dunand, had dated Susini’s mother — who had her son with another man in a prior relationship. Susini’s mother, who never married Dunand, died 20 years ago, the sources said.
Dunand said as much when reached by the Daily News Thursday. “He’s not Alex’s nephew. He has nothing to do with him,” Dunand said.
“It’s only a story because they want to attach Alex’s name to him. I don’t know what that kid does with his nights. Alex is not responsible for him.”
NBC-4 reported that Susini, a minor-league baseball player, was with a friend who sells fancy cars when they met up at the hotel with Anthony Gilkes, 30, and Lamin Vucetovic, 33, to discuss the sale of a Lamborghini.
The deal soured, and the two men demanded Susini return a $35,000 deposit on the luxury car, a police source said.
Gilkes (photo left) and Vucetovic turned themselves in at 3:50 a.m. Thursday and were charged with unlawful imprisonment and kidnapping, police said. At first, both men were accused of holding Susini against his will, NBC reported, citing law enforcement sources.
By Thursday night, prosecutors declined to prosecute Gilkes, and Vucetovic was only charged with attempted coercion, not kidnapping.
Prosecutors say Vucetovic sent text messages with a photo of Susini next to a ticking time bomb to one of his friends, and threatened to kill Susini if his pal didn’t come up with the cash.
He was released on his own recognizance after his arraignment in Manhattan criminal court.
“It was all a misunderstanding. I got robbed of $35,000. They sold me a car that was stolen. I was just trying to get my money back,” Vucetovic said.
Gilkes added, “I was cleared of all charges. Everything was dropped. But now my name is in the dirt. I am altogether innocent.”
“We believe that Mr. Vucetovic is the victim here and the people that should be in custody are Mr. Susini and others. Instead, my client is wrongfully charged,” said Vucetovic’s lawyer, Steven Brill.Susini played baseball at Odessa College in Texas before playing for minor league teams in Connecticut, New Jersey, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, records show.