Barber shop owner accused of kidnapping patron

A Buffalo barber shop owner is facing multiple charges, including kidnapping, after police found another man lying on the side of the I-190 North with a cellphone charging cord around his wrists.

37-year-old Pablo Alicea owns Xclusive Cuts on Niagara Street near Hertel Avenue. He is accused of robbing and kidnapping one of his patrons and holding the man against his will for three days.

Buffalo Police say a State Police Officer in a patrol car found the 40-year-old victim on the Vulcan Street exit off ramp last Tuesday morning.  The man was in a state of panic.

Buffalo Police spokesman Captain Jeff Rinaldo says the detective and sergeant assigned to the case worked tirelessly to figure out what happened.

"They came in, they worked all weekend, they backtracked as much evidence as they could in this case," said Rinaldo. "That included everything from interviewing people, conducting scene investigations, and pulling video from various locations."

The victim told police he believes Alicea took him from the barber shop and held him against his will, drugging him and regularly assaulting him over the course of three days. Buffalo Police say the victim had bumps, bruises and swelling associated with assault. They are still awaiting toxicology reports to see whether the victim was drugged.

"It's a serious offense someone is accused of committing so its our job to get to get to the bottom of this case," said Rinaldo.

Alicea was released after a felony hearing and will return to court for an appearance next week. He's charged with Robbery in the 2nd degree, Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny for the Theft of a Credit Card, Kidnapping in the 2nd Degree, Assault in the 3rd Degree, and Harassment in the 2nd Degree.

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