Man Accused of Kidnapping Georgetown Student Caught Nearly 3,000 Miles Away

A video posted on the suspect's own Facebook page helped investigators build their case

The man accused of kidnapping a Georgetown University student and forcing him to try to withdraw cash at multiple ATMs last month was captured nearly 3,000 miles away after his own Facebook posts helped investigators track him down. 

Paolo Aldorasi, a 34-year-old who is from Italy but lived in London, was arrested in Seattle, Washington, on Friday, D.C. police confirmed. 

On Jan. 26, the student was walking in the 3400 block of O Street NW when Aldorasi approached him in a white Chevrolet Equinox and asked him where Dulles airport was. 

The student, who spoke a limited amount of English, said he did not know. 

Aldorasi asked the student to use the Google Maps app on his phone. But the student said he had little data left on his phone. 

Aldorasi then told the student he would give him a present, court documents say. He grabbed his wrist and then got out of the SUV. Then, he grabbed the student's wrist again and led him into the vehicle. 

Aldorasi allegedly asked for $2,800. Out of fear, the student took out his wallet. The Italian saw the student's debit card and began to take him to banks. 

Officials say Aldorasi drove the victim to three ATMs in Georgetown; the Cartier store in Chevy Chase, Maryland; another ATM in the Tenleytown neighborhood and the Best Buy store in the neighborhood. 

Aldorasi told the student he wanted him to take out money for him, officials said. 

At the first and second banks, the student tried to withdraw $500. Both transactions failed. At the third bank, he tried to take out $200. That transaction failed, too. 

Then, Aldorasi took the student to the Cartier store and told him to buy a $6,300 bracelet. The student's debit card again was declined. 

The pair visited a fourth ATM and again tried to take out $200. Again, the transaction was declined. 

Finally, at the Best Buy store, Aldorasi ordered the student to buy cellphones worth a total of $846, officials said. The transaction again was declined. 

Aldorasi ordered the student to call his bank to ask about his spending limit, but the representative did not provide that information. 

After two hours, the student was released unharmed.

Aldorasi was found using surveillance video, car rental records, data from license plate readers and a video on his own Facebook page. The video on his public page showed the interior of a Chevrolet vehicle, and multiple posts revealed Aldorasi's location. 

Aldorasi faces a federal kidnapping charge and a maximum sentence of life in prison. He appeared in court Monday in Washington state and was ordered held pending a hearing Thursday. 

He didn't get a single dollar from the Georgetown student, officials said. 

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