Scheme To Kidnap Realtor Involved Maple Grove House Viewing: Cops

MAPLE GROVE, MN — A 28-year-old woman is accused of making a phone call that police say led to the New Year's Eve kidnapping of a realtor in Maple Grove. The realtor, Monique Baugh, was later found that same day with her hands bound by tape and dead from three bullet wounds in a Minneapolis alley.

Elsa Segura, of Fridley, has been charged with kidnapping, along with two Minneapolis men. She faces a max sentence of 20 years and a $35,000 fine.

On Dec. 31, 2019, Monique Baugh was abducted from the 8300 block of Niagara Lane in Maple Grove, according to the criminal complaint in the case. Baugh was kidnapped while she was showing the house on that street, police said.

Video surveillance showed Baugh arrived in a black BMW and entered the house at around 3 p.m. A U-Haul van arrived shortly thereafter, and "at least" two men abducted her, placed her in the cargo area of the van, and left, according to the criminal complaint.

That same day, at about 5:40 p.m., a U-Haul van drove up to Baugh's own house and a masked gunman entered the front door, police said.

Later that night, three shots were fired in an alley in the 1300 block of Russell Avenue North, authorities said. When police arrived, they found Baugh dead.

Cedric Berry, 41, and Berry Davis, 40, were both indicted with first-degree premeditated murder and kidnapping Friday in the fatal shooting of Baugh.

Before her death, Baugh told others that she had been receiving several calls on her personal cell phone from the same number, police said. She did not recognize the number and thought it was strange because she did not know how the caller got her contact information.

The first call Baugh received from this number was on Dec. 29, police said. The caller left a voicemail, which investigators obtained.

A woman claiming to be "Lisa Pawloski" left the message and requested a showing for the Niagara Lane address, the criminal complaint states. Investigators confirmed that the voicemail was left by Elsa Segura, police said.

Segura's voice was verified by law enforcement familiar with her. A search warrant of the phone revealed that it "was used for the sole purpose" of calling Baugh, according to investigators.

In an interview with police, Segura said she remembered making the call and admitted it was her voice leaving the message, the complaint states.