Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters). A man forced a housekeeper from the Colorado ranch owned by billionaire Michael Bloomberg to drive him to Wyoming this week. Police later took the suspect into custody and released the victim unharmed.

Joseph Beecher (48) was taken into custody and jailed in Cheyenne without bond. He was facing multiple state charges, including kidnapping, felony menacing and other criminal offenses, according to a statement from the Colorado Sheriff’s Office.

Federal kidnapping charges have also been filed against the suspect as per a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court, Wyoming.

According to authorities, the incident occurred in Colorado near Meeker. It took place about 200-miles west of Denver. Media outlets did not report it until Saturday.

Authorities said that Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York City and one-time U.S. presidential hopeful, wasn’t present at his ranch at this time.

The federal authorities and sheriffs did not make any mention of possible motives.

The New York Times claimed that Bloomberg had asked him about his two daughters. He later stated that he traveled to the area over the summer to search for Bloomberg.

A FBI statement filed in the case says that Beecher broke into the Bloomberg ranch’s gate with his pickup truck and entered the compound. Beecher then confronted the surveillance housekeeper who was upstairs in the bedroom.

According to an affidavit, the housekeeper claimed that a man threatened her with shooting her, pointed a gun at her face and made her drive her car on a crossing-state trip to Denver. There were several stops along the route.

According to FBI, the suspect demanded that the victim take him to Cheyenne. He then rented a room in a motel under false names and forced her to sleep on his chest with one arm above his waist.

Colorado police were alerted to the abduction on Wednesday and tracked the two to the motel. The following day, officers stormed Beecher’s room and freed Beecher.

FBI stated that authorities recovered ammunition and two rifles Beecher had stolen from Colorado’s hotel, where Beecher lived until Wednesday morning. This was before Beecher disappeared to a location 70 miles away.

Rio Blanco Sheriff’s Office stated that Beecher did not know of any connection with the housekeeper nor to Bloomberg, 79. Bloomberg bought the 4,600-acre Ranch in 2020 for $45 Million according to The Times.

Ty Trippet was Bloomberg’s spokesperson and he said that Bloomberg is deeply grateful to law enforcement for their “swift” and “heroic actions in this instance in making sure that no life was lost and the victim was safely returned to her loved ones.”