SANTA ANA, Calif.—A man and woman pleaded guilty Thursday, June 20, and were immediately sentenced to six years and six months in prison for their part in the kidnapping of an Irvine woman to extort money from her family.
Yang “Rose” Wang, 41, of Huntington Beach and Reha Soylular, 60, of Newport Beach, pleaded guilty to kidnapping for extortion, burglary and attempted extortion by force or threat, all felonies. The two have been in custody since Aug. 31, 2019.
Co-defendant George Armando Medrano, 36, pleaded guilty June 29, 2022, to kidnapping, burglary and attempted extortion, all felonies. Mr. Medrano was sentenced then to 13 years and eight months in prison, according to court records.
Co-defendant Ezra Schley, 76, pleaded guilty to burglary in Oct. 8 and is set to be sentenced July 19.
The four kidnapped the victim, identified as Jane Doe, from her apartment Aug. 28, 2019, and then demanded a large sum of money from her husband and mother-in-law for her safe return, according to Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The defendants sent the victim’s family photos of her through an online app, Ms. Edds said. The victim was “previously acquainted” with at least one of the four, she said, but did not elaborate on why the woman was targeted in what was characterized as an “isolated incident.”
The woman was rescued by Irvine police after her mother-in-law called to request a welfare check, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
