Two men have been arrested and charged with kidnapping a Prince George’s County family as part of a plot to rob a Silver Spring bank, according to the Maryland State Police.
Yohannes Surafel, 24, of Washington, Yosef Tadele, 23, of Silver Spring, and a third suspect allegedly kidnapped a bank manager and her family from their home in Clinton on Friday night, with the intention of robbing the Sun Trust Bank where the woman worked, police said.
Tadele reportedly drove Surafel and the third suspect to the home and dropped them off about 7:30 p.m. Friday, when they kidnapped the woman, her husband and their two sons, ages 8 and 11, police said. Tadele then allegedly picked up the other suspect Saturday morning, while Surafel and the family left for the bank.
About 7:30 a.m. Saturday, a state trooper stopped the car Surafel was riding in for swerving on Interstate 495 and Route 1. The driver, who had swerved to get the attention of police, told police Surafel was holding the family up at gunpoint in the car, police said.
Surafel was charged with assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment, conspiracy and weapons offenses. He is being held at the Prince George’s central booking facility.
Tadele met with police early Sunday morning and was expected to be charged with conspiracy and kidnapping offenses.
Police continue to work to identify the third suspect. At least one more arrest is expected during the investigation, police said.
– Andrew Cannarsa
