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Antonio Caban (Collier County Jail).
A Florida man faces life in prison after a jury convicted him of kidnapping his wife and their four children during a violent crime spree in which he beat her with a tire iron and threatened to kill all of them.
Antonio Caban, 36, will be sentenced July 7 in Collier County Circuit Court, the sheriff’s office said in a press release. Caban’s wife and kids had fled Puerto Rico and then moved to the Sunshine State to escape his yearslong abuse. But Caban followed them, which led to a horrific day in 2023.
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The victims agreed to meet Caban at a motel in Labelle. The next day, Jan. 3, 2023, Caban demanded to once again see his wife and kids, a probable cause arrest affidavit said. They met at a grocery store parking lot, where an argument ensued between Caban and his wife. The wife tried to drive away with the kids, but Caban reached into the car and took the keys out of the ignition.
Caban took control of the car and “said he was going to destroy the vehicle and kill everyone,” the affidavit said. His wife tried to jump out of the car but Caban bit her in the face. They proceeded to drive across several counties. At one point, Caban drove to a rural area and stopped the car. He ordered everyone out and threatened to kill all of them if they did not do so, the affidavit said.
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Next, he grabbed a tire iron and beat his wife. Caban ordered everyone back in the car and started driving again. He also threatened to drive to Home Depot, where he would buy a shovel so he could bury their bodies after killing them. When his wife started receiving phone calls, he stopped the car and buried her phone in the ground in the middle of a citrus field.
The wife then “tricked” him into driving them to the shelter where she had been staying so she could grab some personal documents. Once there, she sought help. Collier County Sheriff’s deputies responded and rescued the family. They arrested Caban
“This case is a stark reminder of the dangers victims of domestic violence can face,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. “I commend the victim for her courage and quick thinking in the face of great danger. I also want to thank our deputies and partnering agencies for their rapid, coordinated response that brought this family to safety and helped bring a violent offender to justice.”
