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In a bizarre and alarming incident, a 52-year-old woman from Florida has been arrested for allegedly posing as an immigration officer to kidnap her ex-boyfriend’s wife. Latrance Battle was taken into custody on April 11 after authorities accused her of impersonating a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer while wearing an ICE-branded shirt and carrying a handheld radio.
Details of the incident
The shocking events unfolded on April 10 when Battle entered a hotel in the Florida Panhandle. According to reports, she approached a hotel worker and claimed she was there to “pick up” the victim. To bolster her ruse, she unzipped her jacket to reveal the ICE shirt and presented a business card that appeared to show her affiliation with a sheriff’s office.
Believing Battle was a legitimate ICE agent, the hotel worker contacted her boss and accompanied Battle. However, this decision would soon lead to a terrifying ordeal for the victim.
Kidnapping and escape
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the victim later reported that she had been kidnapped.
Officers responded to a call after the victim claimed she was taken against her will. During the investigation, it was revealed that Battle had identified herself as an ICE agent and instructed the victim to go with her. Out of fear, the victim complied and got into Battle’s vehicle.
While in the car, the victim attempted to contact her lawyer and husband, but Battle forcefully snatched her phone away. The victim reported that Battle made threatening comments, implying that she would have to “suffer the consequences of her husband’s actions.” This alarming statement heightened the victim’s fears and suspicions.
The aftermath and arrest
Upon arriving at the Bridge Plaza apartment complex, the victim realized something was amiss when Battle claimed they were headed to the Sheriff’s Office. Seizing the opportunity, the victim fled the vehicle and called law enforcement, leading to Battle’s arrest.
Authorities later discovered that Battle had a history of troubling behavior, including an incident two years prior where she allegedly attacked the victim’s husband, prompting him to file a restraining order against her. Police located Battle in Fountain, Florida, as she was en route to Alabama. Body camera footage captured the moment deputies arrested her, with Battle complying and exiting her vehicle with her hands raised.
Battle now faces multiple charges, including kidnapping in the commission of a felony, robbery by sudden snatching, impersonating a law enforcement officer, and felony violation of probation. This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by impersonators and the importance of verifying the identity of individuals claiming to be law enforcement.
