Girlfriend Thought Boyfriend's Fake Kidnapping Scheme Was a 'Game,' Attorney Says

Joseph Vicario, 25, of Bridgeview (left), and Shane Ablan, 26, of Chicago Ridge, are being held in Cook County Jail on felony disorderly conduct charges. | Cook County Sheriff

The attorney for the young woman accused of helping her boyfriend stage his own kidnapping and making distressing phone calls to his mother demanding ransom, thought they were “playing a game,” her attorney said.

Amanda Woods, 21, appeared before Cook County Judge Peter Felice on a felony disorderly conduct charge. Woods, free on a $5,000 bond, was in court with her parents for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

• Also on Patch: Son Fakes Kidnapping, Begs Ransom from Mom To Pay Off Gambling Debts: Cops

She was arrested last Friday along with her boyfriend, Joseph Vicario, 25, and their friend, 26-year-old Shane Ablan, after Bridgeview police said the three drove around the area texting and calling Vicario’s mother, stating they were being held by unknown assailants.

During the phone calls, police said Ablan slapped his hands near the phone pretending to beat Vicario up as he screamed in the background, “don’t hit me.”

Police said Vicario was trying to get his mother to pay $3,000 in ransom so he could pay off his gambling debts.

“The two boys picked her up,” said Bob Olson, Woods’ attorney. “She thought they were playing a game.”

According to Olson, Woods never demanded money from Vicario’s mother or said her son was being beaten.

“She started realizing they were serious when they kept grabbing her phone and texting his mother,” Olson said.

Olson said Woods is no longer seeing Vicario after living with him for a period. She is back home with her parents in Oak Lawn.

“They’re quite upset,” he said. “She’s not even going out. She’s seeing a therapist.”

Vicario, wearing a tan jail uniform and dark blue Illinois Department of Corrections windbreaker, also put in an appearance before Judge Felice.

“He’s been charged with knowingly reporting his kidnapping,” said Judge Felice reading from the complaint. “He’s calling his mother? You’re calling your mother?”

Prosecutors said that Ablan went before the judge in the morning. The three are due back in court on Feb. 18.

Vicario and Ablan are each being held on $100,000 bail in Cook County Jail.