Handyman kidnapped, compelled to do residence repairs, say Calif. cops

(CBS) Apparently there's more than one way to fix the kitchen faucet.

As CBS San Francisco reports, police arrested a California couple on Monday after they allegedly took a handyman hostage and forced him to do home repairs.

Investigators said the 50-year-old handyman was lured to the 4,600-square-foot home south of San Jose on Monday morning, where 36-year-old Jason DeJesus and 33-year-old Chanelle Troedson beat him and threatened to kill him, forcing him to do so The problem was addressed to multiple items in the house over a six hour period. Repairs included a dishwasher and a broken door.

“The victim was quite scared. “He was pretty shaken and frightened by the whole incident,” Sgt. Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

Cardoza said the handyman worked for DeJesus' mother two months ago, which she didn't like.

“There was a dispute over services provided, the victim was not paid in full,” Cardoza said Tuesday. “That kind of impacted what happened last night.”

Authorities said the suspects forced the victim into his truck later Monday night, where he was told they were driving to a relative's home to make further repairs. When they stopped at a gas station to pay for gas and snacks, the victim escaped. The suspects were arrested shortly afterwards.

DeJesus and Troedson are charged with multiple crimes, including false imprisonment, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and conspiracy.