Five police agencies were involved in the arrests of three men now facing charges for the alleged kidnapping and robbery of a rural Paxton man.

The victim was beaten with a gun and baseball bat, and was threatened with death – by the assailants --- if he did not give them more money.

An investigation that included assistance by the FBI, the three men were arrested Wednesday in Paxton, Loda and suburban Berwyn.

25-year-old Rodolfo Cerritos of Paxton, 24-year-old Evigan Marcos of Loda and 22-year-old Eduardo Samano of Berwyn are charged with one count each of armed robbery, (Class X felony); kidnapping, (Class 2 felony); and aggravated battery, (Class 3 felony).

Cerritos and Marcos remained at the Ford County Jail on Thursday. The News-Gazzette reports Samano was in custody in suburban Berwyn.

The News-Gazzette reported, the victim reported to police that he was abducted by two Hispanic men December 9th. The kidnappers allegedly used a pistol and a baseball bat to force him into a vehicle by "hitting him in the head multiple times."

They then drove around Ford and Iroquois counties threatening to kill him and his family.

The kidnappers agreed to let the victim leave if he provided $800 in cash to them the following day by dropping it in a garbage can at the park in Loda. They had already allegedly robbed him of $300, several credit cards, a cellphone, two checks totaling $8,000, a GPS unit and external computer hard drive.

Cerritos was arrested by Paxton police, FBI agents and state police during a traffic stop on North Market Street in Paxton Wednesday. The third man was arrested in Berwyn.

In addition to the FBI's Champaign office and Illinois State Police, Paxton police were assisted by the Iroquois County Sheriff's Office, the Ford County Sheriff's Office and the Gibson City Police Department.

94.1 WGFA