A New York-based model was kidnapped at gunpoint in Brazil along with her husband, a photographer, and their child, then held hostage in a cabin for 12 hours in a terrifying ordeal.
Luciana Curtis, her husband Enrique Gendre, and their 11-year-old child were ambushed by gunmen as they emerged from a restaurant in São Paulo’s upscale Alto do Lapa district on Wednesday night, local newspaper Gazeta reported. Reported.
The 47-year-old Brazilian-born model and her family were forced into her car at gunpoint and taken to a wooden hut in Brazil, where they were kept overnight.
Photos obtained by Brazilian media showed that the only thing inside the hut was a mattress, a toilet and a sink.
“Armed criminals approached the victim outside the restaurant and detained him,” police said in a statement.
Authorities said the gang transferred funds from the couple’s bank accounts before the family was finally released early Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, police were already searching for the trio as the couple’s eldest son, who had not gone to dinner, noticed that he had not returned home and alerted his relatives.
Police said, “While a specialized police team searched the area, the gang fled, leaving behind their families.”
The trio had to alert local residents and call for help after being cut off.
“The family has been released and is safe and well,” a spokesperson for the model told local media.
Curtis was born in São Paulo and is the daughter of British businessman Malcolm Leo Curtis.
She lives in New York but reportedly splits her time between Sao Paulo and London.
The model won the 1993 Supermodel of the World final in Brazil and appeared on the covers of Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan magazines.
She has also modeled for Harrods, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, and more.
