SANFORD — Three suspects including a woman and two men are charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault in connection with the Jan. 11 stabbing of a 28-year-old man found by a neighbor bleeding in a snowbank on Emery Street in Sanford.

The victim sustained a stab wound to the heart, said Sanford Police Det. Sgt. Matthew Jones, and he was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland. He has since been released and is recovering.

Jones said that the victim was beaten and held against his will for several hours in an abandoned apartment after being lured there by an acquaintance.

“The victim was forced to make phone calls to procure a large sum of money to secure his release,” said Jones in a press statement. “During this period of captivity, the victim was beaten and feared for his life. The victim made an attempt to escape and was tackled and stabbed with a knife.”

In a telephone interview, Jones said the victim was unable to procure the money, hence his attempt to escape.

The trio of suspects — Shantel Rodriquez, 25, Dylan Austin, 26, and Cody Boudreau, 22, have been charged with Class A felony kidnapping and Class B felony aggravated assault and were scheduled to make a first court appearance Monday afternoon at Springvale District Court.

Police identified potential suspects in the case early on and warrants for their arrest were secured on Feb. 1. 

Austin was arrested by York County Sheriff’s Office deputies during a traffic stop in Shapleigh on Thursday night. 

On Friday, Sanford Police encountered Rodriguez on Riverside Avenue in Sanford and she was subsequently arrested on the warrants. 

On Saturday, Boudreau turned himself in at York County Jail.

Each of the suspects are held on $10,000 bail pending their court appearances.

Detectives from Sanford Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division responded to the scene hhen a neighbor called to report a man bleeding in a snowbank.

When the injuries to the victim appeared life-threatening, the State Police Major Crimes Unit was summoned, said Jones. 

Agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency were later contacted to assist in the investigation following the execution of search warrants that allegedly turned up signs of drug activity at one of two locations searched the following day. 

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.