nicholas kollias and ani okeke ewo

In November, four of those defendants received sentences ranging from 13 to 35 years in prison. Three of the defendants are sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. And even though they had nothing to do with the criminal activity, Ewo was mistakenly identified as one of the robbers by a gang. Criminal indictments unsealed Wednesday in the kidnapping of two University ofRochester football players add multiple counts of predatory sexual assault as well as firearms chargesagainst at least two of the defendants. A decent house and pretty girls. Julie Herrod When Was She Born, Career, Wheres She Today? University of Rochester students Ani Okeke Ewo, left, and Nicholas Kollias are seen in undated photos distributed by authorities after their 2015 abduction. "Ani kind of looked over to me and he was like 'Hey I have these two girls who wanna hang out,'" said Nicholas. "The cellphone video was clearly, in my opinion, the most essential piece of evidence and perhaps yes, also the most damning as well," said Schwartz. Our focus as a university is on our two students as they recover from their ordeal. "After about six hours we were able to get a couple of good locations where these girls last saw Nico and Ani," said Peters. It's the first time he's spoken publicly about the ordeal that left him hospitalized for 25 days; he still has a rod in his leg and a bullet in his calf 14 months later. Listen for free View show details . That's when I thought it was all over.". Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). December 4,. I was thinking about my family, parents and God. Samantha Hughes and Leah Gigliotti, the girls who lured the football players to that house of horrors, eventually gave police two addresses. The population was 10,890 at the 2000 census. Are they getting closer to finding the boys? "It's clearly his face. When the woman invited him to a party, Ewo asked if he could bring along Kollias. The second victim [Kollias] being involved was pure happenstance, Schwartz told the Tribune. They're trapped. Shooting on Easter: 'It's Heart Wrenching', Suspect in Louisville Shooting Identified as 25-Year-Old Employee Connor Sturgeon: Police, the abduction of two University of Rochester students. As the investigation begins, cops find a stomach-churning video on one of the violent kidnapper's cellphones. It's now Sunday morning at 22 Harvest Street, more than 30 hours in. "Nico had a pretty good sum of money. I always wanted to continue playing football in college. Then they find the second girl, Leah Gigliotti. Get In Touch. Nicholas says there's more to the story, and he's holding the University of Rochester responsible. 00:11 EDT 12 Dec 2015. Empieza iniciando sesin con tu cuenta de Amazon, Segn tu ubicacin, se te ha dirigido a audible.es. According to the Tribune, the jury was also showna video, shot on a phone by one of the kidnappers, of men in masks with chainsaws, beating and demeaning the victims. I was the first one out of my direct family to go to college.". Jurors also heard audiotapes of phone calls that Kollias said he was forced to make on Saturday and Sunday to his financial institutions, seeking to raise his credit lines or get access to investment accounts. University police sent out a statewide alert over the weekend that seniors Ani Okeke Ewo, of Aurora, and Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, had been missing since 2 a.m. Saturday. "As we started to put all this whole story together, we realized something really was not right," said Rochester Police Deputy Chief Scott Peters. They were instead held against their will, beaten, shot and sexually assaulted over the course of 40 hours. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. One had been shot in the leg ahead of the rescue. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "They tied up our hands and legs and dragged Ani and I into this bathroom," said Nicholas Kollias. At a press conference late Sunday night,. By Rolidan alsofaces charges of first-degree criminal use of a firearm, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. 9,99 /mes despus de 30 das. "Trying to track down the two women that they had met up with," said Peters. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Ani Okeke Ewo has never been considered anything other than a victim. "I was just kind of feeling worse, not optimistic at all that we would be found.". Nothing seemed unusual or abnormal.". While the football players are negotiating for their lives, their absence is not going unnoticed. "At that point she really wasn't free to leave.". Then they see a closed door. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Hughes was less than helpful. Also the fact that they had been out of contact with everybody else.". Over the next 40 hours, the pair were repeatedly tortured and sexually abused, including being cut with knives and a chainsaw and being doused with flammable liquids. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochester football players from Illinois, were lured to a home for what they thought was a Saturday night house party. "I'm not going to give up without a fight," he recalled thinking. Earlier Monday night, police said they recovered the BMW SUV that they believed the two were traveling in before they were abducted. When the kidnapping turn out to be a mistake of identity and resulted in complex deceit where drug dealer Smith had arranged an earlier fake robbery earlier. Find service information, send flowers, and leave memories and thoughts in the Guestbook for your loved one. Ani Okeke Ewo was abducted along with Nicholas Kollias back in 2015 and tortured in a drug-related revenge attack. Lora and Rolldan face kidnapping and criminal possession of a weapon charges. I didn't want to die and give in to these people.". The two were rescued by a Rochester police SWAT team. The abductors used two women to persuade the UR students to go with them to the Harvest Street house. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochesterfootball players from Illinois, were lured to a home for what they thought was a Saturday night house party. Neither victim hadbeen heard from publiclyuntil Kollias testified in court. What the bad guys didn't know is you can't access those funds on the weekend, so they were waiting until 8 o'clock in the morning when they could actually access those accounts, and I'm sure once they did that they probably would have killed them.". Darla Crane Age, Full Biography, Where Is She Now? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Kollias described his torture and stated that the gang jabbed knives under their toes, doused them with flammable liquid, threatened to set them on fire, sexuallyassaulted them and fired a gun near their heads. Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com Nicholas spent the next 25 days in intensive care. Release of the indictments, while partly redacted for sensitivity, offered a harrowing glimpse intowhat UR President Joel Seligman would later describe as the "intimidating and demeaning treatment" that the pair endured. The New York Daily Newsreports Kollias has since graduated and moved back to the Chicago area, where he still undergoes physical therapy twice a week and works in financial services. All six suspects are due in court on Friday for a preliminary hearing. I'll do anything," a voice is heard pleading. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochesterfootball players from Illinois, were lured to a home for what they thought was a Saturday night house party. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. -- University of Rochester Spokesperson Sara Miller. Growing up in an upscale suburb of Chicago, Nicholas Kollias was the all-American high school kid. What had seemed like an innocent college date night was suddenly looking like a vicious setup. The remaining five defendants have all already pleaded guilty to various roles in the incident. "I'm not going to give up without a fight," he recalled thinking. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Is Our TV Pick Of The Week, Small Town Horror Story: The Racist Attack Of A FedEx Worker. Remembering the horror, Kollias alternated between an occasionally firm voice and long silent pauses, as he led jurors through the brutality of the weekend. We may earn a commission from links on this page. A former Upstate New York studentis speaking out for the first time about the abuse and torture he suffered when abducted in December 2015. In this undated photo provided by the University of Rochester, Ani Okeke Ewo poses for a photo. So it was definitely a case of mistaken identity," said Scott Peters. I was thinking about my family, parents, and God. One of them is heard begging for his life. Nicholas Kollias has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the nine kidnappers. Nicholas says the kidnappers turned on loud music to cover the sounds of what's to come. The ambush was quick, the weapons everywhere. Outside, a SWAT team sets explosive charges on two doors and breaches them. "First of all both phones were turned off. "At that point I got up, trying to run for the exit," Nicholas Kollias, now 22, testified Thursday about the attack that precipitated the hours of torture he and classmate, Ani Okeke Ewo, were . Things have reached a fever pitch. Lydell Strickland, who was found guilty of more than two dozen charges, including kidnapping, assault, gang assault and sexual abuse, was sentenced to 155 years to life in prison. The following day, a police SWAT team entered the house, rescuing the students, and nine people were eventually arrested and charged in the horrific incident. "So I said 'Sure. Crime Watch Daily reached out to Ani Okeke Ewo for comment, but he never responded. "I knew that it was going to be high-profile and it affected a lot of people in this community personally, so I really wanted to make sure that my best people were on it," said Doorley. Nicholas is beaten with a hedge-trimmer, a bat, a pipe, then hit over the head again, this time with a fluorescent bulb. Police said. Turns out Nicholas had been shot twice, once in each leg. Several masked men brandish guns, knivesand chainsaws as they threaten and taunt the two students, who lie bleeding and injured on a bathroom floor. Then Rochester Deputy Chief Scott Peters puts together a plan with the SWAT commander. Police believe it was a premeditated attack. Authorities have said that UR seniorsAni Okeke Ewo and Nicholas Kolliaswereheld and terrorized for 40 hours before beingrescued by a Rochester police SWAT team. Descubre Audible con un mes de prueba gratis. Im not going to give up without a fight, he recalled thinking. Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, Illinois, and Ani Okeke Ewo, of Aurora, Illinois, were reported missing Saturday evening, hours after they were last seen near the school. Not long after Nicholas and Ani meet them in the parking lot of Nicholas's apartment. The earlier robbery allegedly occurredat an off-campus Brooks Landing student apartment building. On December 4, 2015, Ani and Kollias were hanging out with their friends from the football team, when they were approached by a lady Samantha Hughes, who tried to friend the two players on Facebook earlier in the week. Kollias and Ewo were lured to the Harvest Street home by two women they did not know late one Friday night. It's not over. Her name is Samantha Hughes. Kollias and Ewo were sexually assaulted,. It is surrounded by Pinellas County enclaves in all directions. Nikolaos Kollias ( Greek: ; born in Selitsa, Voio) was a Greek revolutionary and soldier. "I'm not going to close my eyes. The New York Daily Newsreports Kollias has since graduated and moved back to the Chicago area, where he still undergoes physical therapy twice a week and works in financial services. Smith, a star athlete and well-known drug dealer, found a spare key to Ani and his twin brother's apartment. June Lovejoy: Full Biography Of The Actress, AMVCA 2023 Nominations: List Of All Nominees, Gangs of Lagos: A Pulse-Pounding Action Thriller That Delivers on Every Level, Oscar 2023: The Full List Of Winners (With Nominees), Shanty Town Review: Its Ambitious, Its Rugged, Its Somehow. In December 2016, Strickland, who was believed to be the leader, was sentenced to 155 years in prison after being found guilty on 31 charges, that included assault, gang assault, and robbery. The two men were then taken into the bathroom and had their hands and feet taped together and were tortured with hedge clippers and other improvised weapons before being sexually assaulted for the next 40 hours. A few days before the pair was kidnapped, a drug deal went bad near the apartment that one of them rented. She had to go to work, so she said 'Can I meet up with you tomorrow and we can finish this,'" said Deputy Chief Scott Peters. They keep Nicholas in the bathroom. Ewo and a female acquaintance had been. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both seniors at the university, were reported missing on Saturday evening under suspicious circumstances. They were eventually located at a residence approximately four miles from campus and were rescued by a SWAT team on Sunday evening. Ani Okeke Ewo and Nicholas Kollias, who both testify against their kidnappers, watch that grotesque video in court. But once inside, that all changed. His gridiron goal became a reality at the University of Rochester in New York. Nicholas Kollias and his college buddy spent nearly two days in hell, held captive, tortured, even shot. Cancela en cualquier momento. Ewo and a female acquaintance had been flirting via Facebook, and that woman had invited them over. Sources have told theDemocrat and Chroniclethat Ewo was wrongly identified as an individual involved in the robbery of local drug dealers, and that mistake prompted the kidnapping. ", "At first I was kind of scared because there was more individuals just covered in body armor and these huge guns, I was just terrified," said Nicholas. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. First the room went dark, then masked men, clothed in black, burst into the littered living room at the Harvest Street house. But there was one key piece of evidence the jurors would see. Neither of them are making it easy for investigators. Then the camera swings right to reveal Nicholas curled up in pain as the kidnappers throw slurs and prod his injured leg. After a month-long trial, all four defendants are found guilty on all counts. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochester football players from Illinois, were lured to a home for what they thought was a Saturday night house party. One of the women reached out to Ewo via Facebook and text messages, Kollias said, and he and Ewo met them one night and went with them to the house. UR abduction case:Mistaken identity may have led abductors to UR students. Image source: University of Rochester Athletics, Amanda Pflugrad Age, Husband, Career, and Other Facts, Joao Maleck Five Fast Facts About The Rising Star, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Sade is a contributor with a bias on Nigerian stars, Lexie Bigham How He Began, What He Did, How He Died, Jessi Nakles Heres Everything We Know About Her, What Became of Sean Caracena And Cause Of His Death, Simon Jacques Bio, Career Highlights, Cause of Death, Martell Lane: How He Started And How He Died. "Please! Chief Michael Ciminelli described the SWAT rescue of two University of Rochester seniors Nicholas Kollias, 21, and Ani Okeke-Ewo, 21. Though saying he had no information to support the alleged connection, Seligmansaid UR was working with local police, UR Public Safety and campus housing to "strengthen campus safety and to address drug use on campus. He was then hit in the head with a baseball bat and dragged into the bathroom along with Ewo. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. So they told the girls to go get the football players who ripped them off. The ringleader, Lydell Strickland, played a starring role in that video. Ani Okeke Ewo (left) and Nicholas Kollias (right) were rescued from a house in Rochester, N.Y., where they were held against their will for most of the weekend. Nicholas and his fellow teammate and fraternity brother Ani Okeke Ewo are hanging out when Ani gets messaged on social media. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. St. Petersburg College has a campus in the city. Rochester police say a SWAT team rescued the two University of Rochester students around 9:20 p.m. Sunday. Kollias and Ewo were taken to a nearby hospital, where they are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. "They had nicknames. "It was dark out and from the outside it seemed like a decent house," said Nicholas. The defendants convinced a woman to flirt with Ewo on Facebook. It's now Sunday night, 9 p.m., almost 40 hours into this kidnapping nightmare. "In reality they were saving my life. In December 2015, Nicholas Kollias and fellow senior Ani Okeke Ewo, both University of Rochester football players, were kidnapped near the New York campus. This drug heist made it look like Smith and some associates were robbed of a large quantity of weed at Ewos apartment while he was away. Sign up to receive breaking True Crime Daily news, exclusive stories and behind-the-scenes info. Police said they were . I got up as fast as I could and tried running to the side door," said Nicholas. Associated Press Ani Okeke Ewo is a student at The University of Rochester who is believed to be in his early twenties and played as a cornerback for The University of Rochester football team and hometown Romeoville, Illinois. Those charged face multiple counts of kidnapping and assault. The gang members arrested were Lydell Strickland, 26, Dennis Perez, 23, Leah Gigliotti, 20, Samantha Hughes, 19, Inalia Rolldan,19, and David Alcaraz-Ubiles. Throughout the weekend, Kollias said he could hear the sounds of numerous people coming and going from the house At one point, Kollias said he heardmen and womenwatching football games on television in an adjacent room. The Chicago Tribune revisits how the classical pianist and athlete from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook was kidnapped on the night of Dec. 4, 2015, along with fellow student Ani Okeke Ewo, after . Rochester police chief Michael Ciminelli told reporters other students should not be concerned for their safety. The torture that went on is almost indescribable.. It's only the beginning of a 40-hour nightmare. UR students abducted, hurt, prosecutor says. Copy Link Copy Link Summary; 2 former friends, football players, and frat brothers, get kidnapped, assaulted, and help captive for 40 hours. All rights reserved (About Us). It was not just about money, but revenge. According to a 2015 roster posted on the university's website, Ewo is a cornerback for the football team, while Kollias was listed as a defensive end on the 2014 roster. Five men and four women, all Rochester-area residents in their late teens and early 20s, were convicted of kidnapping and other crimes. "I am not going to let these individuals mess up the rest of my life, and so that's why I am trying to be optimistic and just positive and move forward in the best way that I can.". Kollias also suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg in the ordeal. This provider has 31 years of experience and is affiliated with Leesburg Regional Medical Center. In partnership with Senior year, and fall semester at the University of Rochester is in full swing. This website or its third-party tools process personal data.In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link. Cancela cuando quieras. She was with her friend and 20-year-old Leah Gigliotti to pick up Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo. Kollias was shot in his legs. 'I can tell you that my client was misled in her alleged helping of getting them there,' he said. According to Kollias, the lights went off and a group of men rushed into the dark room and 40-hours of hell began. The pair of ladies were high and drunk, with Hughes having taken weed and Gigliotti snorting cocaine, although they passed some booze back to Ewo and Kollias to get them high before setting off. "It was eerily silent," said Rochester Police Deputy Chief Scott Peters. They were instead. Police said Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, Illinois, and Ani Okeke Ewo, of Aurora, Illinois, were abducted and held hostage, and one suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. As of 2007, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 19,195. Police said Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, Illinois, and Ani Okeke Ewo, of Aurora, Illinois, were abducted and held hostage, and one suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. They were instead held against their will, beaten, shot and sexually assaulted over the course of 40 hours. He was shot in the other leg, and continually beaten with knives, bats, and even a chainsaw, he said. Rolldan and Lora reportedly guarded the abducted students, until SWAT teams rescued the two on Sunday. "They were having so much enjoyment with it that they started recording it.". *Terms apply. Six people have been charged in their abduction. Cancela en cualquier momento. Survivor Story 5 - Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo. Police did not offer a motive for the alleged kidnapping, but University President Joel Seligman issued a statement Monday saying: I will, at an appropriate time in the near future, be able to provide more detail about this very serious, but isolated, incident.. There was just that much," said Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Schwartz. "The university was just completely negligent in what they did," said Nicholas. "The torture consists of something you would see in a movie, but it's not a movie because this is real life," he said. Nicholas Kollias and Ani Okeke Ewo were last seen around 2 a.m. Saturday near the school. "The individual who was nicknamed 'The Caretaker' came into the room, and this was the only time I actually saw any of the individuals' faces without a mask on," said Nicholas. "There was remnants of tape around their ankles and hands. "For me, I have always said I don't want this to hold me back, I don't want this to label me," said Nicholas. Other known charges are as follows: Dennis Perez: Twocounts of first-degree gang assault, six counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree robbery, ninecounts of first-degree predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree criminal use of a firearm, and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon.