Alejandra Arriaza charged with fake kidnapping of son

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) — A mother and her teenage son are kidnapped. The kidnappers place a cell phone in the car of the boy’s father so they can communicate their ransom demands. The son is burned with a blowtorch. The mother implores the father to pay the ransom. A terrifying scenario — but one that the FBI and police say was all orchestrated by the mother to get some fast cash from her ex-husband.

The mother, Alejandra Arriaza, her boyfriend, Angel Ponce, and his nephew, Joel Boza, were charged Tuesday with federal kidnapping counts. If convicted, they could be sentenced to life in prison.

According to an FBI affidavit, all three have admitted their roles in the phony kidnapping.

“We took it very seriously and believed a couple of lives were at risk,” said Jim Leljedal of the sheriff’s office in Broward County, Florida. “And then to find out that one of the victims was involved in the plot was pretty surprising.”

The three suspects will have a detention hearing Wednesday in a federal court in Miami. The U.S. attorney’s office would not comment on the case.