2 more arrests in kidnap attempt
Pair allegedly assaulted victim with gun and knife as he met woman who answered his Craigslist personal ad in January
Two more people have been arrested in connection with an attempted kidnapping in Lansdale in January — including the sister of a woman already in custody for allegedly setting the victim up for the crime after meeting him via a Craigslist personal ad.
Gabrielle Alexandra Mountz, 23, of the 1500 block of North Redfield Street in Philadelphia, and Marquis Lamar Smith, 25, of the 6700 block of Lebanon Avenue in Philadelphia, were apprehended at Smith’s residence
around 6:30 a.m. Thursday by Lansdale and Philadelphia detectives executing warrants issued earlier this week, borough police said.
Mountz’s sister, 25-yearold Lara Ashley Mountz — of the 4100 block of School Lane in Drexel Hill — was arrested on April 19 and has already waived her preliminary hearing in the case, sending one count of firstdegree felony attempted kidnapping, as well as a variety of felony, misdemeanor and summary conspiracy charges, to Montgomery County court for trial.
Lansdale police have said that Lara Mountz responded to an online ad the victim had posted on Craigslist seeking companionship, and arranged via a series of text messages to meet the man at his apartment on the 700 block of North Valley Forge Road.
Mountz, who had gone by the pseudonym “Lala” in her communications with the victim, showed up around 11 p.m. on Jan. 25 in a silver Nissan Altima and parked in the rear of the lot outside the man’s apartment, according to court documents.
The pair met up in the parking lot and began to talk.
During their conversation, according to police, a man and a woman — later identified through investigation as Smith and Gabrielle Mountz — approached
them.
Gabrielle Mountz pointed a black handgun at the victim, ordered him to the ground and told him, “You’re coming with us,” an affidavit of probable cause indicates.
The victim managed to get to his feet and run
while screaming for help, but Smith caught up to him and held a knife to his neck while Gabrielle Mountz continued to point her gun at him, according to the affidavit.
However, the victim was again able to get free and call for help as the three suspects fled in the Nissan with Lara Mountz behind the wheel, police said.
Officers responding to the 911 call found the victim in “emotional and physical distress,” according to court documents.
Investigators determined that Lara Mountz saw the victim’s Craigslist ad and told her sister about it, and it was Gabrielle Mountz who “developed a plan to rob (the victim) of his money and solicited Smith to assist... Smith brought an unidentified firearm with him to use with (Gabrielle) Mountz,” court documents state.
Smith and Gabrielle Mountz were both arraigned Thursday morning before Horsham District Judge Harry Nesbitt on a dozen criminal counts each, including felony counts of attempted robbery, attempted kidnapping, aggravated assault and conspiracy and other related offenses.
Smith — who is on probation after a felony drugdealing and conspiracy conviction last year for which he was sentenced to 18 months to three years in prison — was then committed to Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 cash bail set by Nesbitt. Mountz was incarcerated at MCCF in lieu of $100,000 cash bail.
Both are due in Lansdale district court on May 31 for preliminary hearings in the case.
Lara Mountz, who is behind bars at MCCF in lieu of $90,000 cash bail, is due to be formally arraigned in county court on July 5.