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View Full Version : Eeeeks...Abduction & Robbery at Downtown Disney parking lot..



Terra
06-10-2007, 09:53 PM
I just heard about this on a news clip.
Here's the link

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/osceola/orl-bk-touristrobbery0610,0,5284631.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

Scary!!

nicole48040
06-10-2007, 10:03 PM
This is awful and makes me think that I will cancel DTD night and stay in the world. I don't need that type of garbage threatening our family's happy time. Shame on those monsters!!!:mad:

PAYROLL PRINCESS
06-10-2007, 10:05 PM
Yikes! That's pretty scary. I always thought that I would feel safe if I ever traveled to WDW alone. I don't know what this world is coming to.
I hope the 2 victims don't let this affect their vacation so much that they don't stay and at least try to salvage some of the fun. I hope they catch those 3 quickly.

battle beast
06-10-2007, 10:20 PM
Yikes! That is scarey! But I still feel safe... I no not to talk to strangers, and keep to myself... but in this world, you never what could happen!

Dr. Disney
06-10-2007, 10:58 PM
This is very scary!!! I did feel a little uneasy when we were there last year. There was a large local crowd there with there loud radios playing in their cars, hats to the side and large groups that didn't appear very "Disneylike." DTD id not a good place for night travels anymore!:(

Amy_617
06-10-2007, 11:08 PM
oh my gosh....those poor people. That is horrible.

It is sad to say...but it could happen anywhere.

Disney is prolly the only place I let my guard down because I feel completely safe there. I guess we'll just have to be more cautious.

Sending some pixie dust their way.:tink::pixie:

Christine
06-10-2007, 11:40 PM
That is so scary!!

mel
06-10-2007, 11:57 PM
I have always felt a little nervous around dd at night.. it has a little different feel than other place at dw..:confused:

Terra
06-11-2007, 07:17 AM
... I no not to talk to strangers, and keep to myself... but in this world, you never what could happen!

I don't either when we go! I've had people ask me a question from a car, but I never go up to the car and I answer as I'm kind of walking away! Or sometimes I pretend I don't hear them...sad I know...but **sometimes** things like this CAN be avoided if you use common sense.

BUT it does make me think twice about staying overnight on International Drive! [If you read down in the article there were some bad incidents on I-Drive]...

Sometimes I like to take a night or two and go over and stay off property because it's cheaper. I was thinking of doing this some weekend soon with just myself and my 7 month son and my best friend...but being 2 women and a baby, now I'm questioning that!

merlinmagic4
06-11-2007, 07:42 AM
Wow, that was worse than I thought. Really shocking. I'm so glad they are okay; it could have been a lot worse. They had someone watching over them that night!

GrumpyFan
06-11-2007, 10:15 AM
What's surprising (if not odd) to me about the story, is there is no comment from Disney about the incident. I'm also a little suprised by the whole incident. It was pretty brazen of the attackers. I know its a crowded and busy place, but they have security towers and I believe rolling security guards. However, the lighting closer to World of Disney isn't that great and there are lots of trees which could easily hide something happening.

crazypoohbear
06-11-2007, 10:17 AM
I hope the police down there find and put and end to this ASAP. This reminds me of what was happening years ago to tourists who were renting cars at the airport and getting carjacked left and right. That is why fla. Finally changed the licesne plates so you couldn't tell who was a tourist and who was not.
I have heard stories in the past about DTD geting sketchier but this is awful.

Tinkerfreak
06-11-2007, 10:20 AM
Wow this is scary. A few years ago we had tickets to La Nobia (SP) and MIL got sick at the last minute and DH had to take her back to the room. That left my DD's who were 5 and 8 and the time and myself to go by ourselves. I remember feeling very uneasy walking to the bus stop after the show was over. I would not do that again, I would have just skipped it or tried to change all of our tickets to another time.

drummerboy
06-11-2007, 10:26 AM
DW always feels as if she's left WDW if we go to DTD or PI at night. Too much like going to town.

RenDuran
06-11-2007, 12:34 PM
The Disney areas that are open to the general public never feel the same to me either. I feel really horrible for all the victims listed in that newspaper article.

mttafire
06-11-2007, 02:08 PM
Well, I dont want to add to the rumors BUT this is "News RUMORS and imagineering....I have a friend who is on Orlando fire, He stated that the couple were actually buying "goodies" from the guy and the deal went bad. This may NOT have been as random as first though. Obviously we need more info to see exactly what did happen but i thought id share what i was told from a reasonably good source. I will add though that the news about the lady that was raped was VERY VERY disturbing and hopefully everyone has recovered physically and mentally.

Ed
06-11-2007, 05:26 PM
Television station WFTV (Channel 9 in Orlando) is reporting on their website ( www.wftv.com ) that they received a telephone call from a police detective from the North Branford Connecticut Police Department, the home town of the two victims stating "...he doesn't think the victims' story is 100 percent true, because the man involved is well-known to them as a drug addict."

Stay tuned.....

Terra
06-11-2007, 05:38 PM
Television station WFTV (Channel 9 in Orlando) is reporting on their website ( www.wftv.com ) that they received a telephone call from a police detective from the North Branford Connecticut Police Department, the home town of the two victims stating "...he doesn't think the victims' story is 100 percent true, because the man involved is well-known to them as a drug addict."

Stay tuned.....

Ahhhh....the plot thickens!!!
Okay that makes me feel a little better in that it wasn't *maybe* just random...if that makes sense...

spoiledraf
06-11-2007, 06:15 PM
The story starts, "Two young tourists from Connecticut ". But they were known druggies by the local police??? Now are the rumors getting a little confused?

This is a bad situation and very scary. I've been robbed a couple times and being on the wrong end of a gun is quite frightening. I'm just not quite understanding all this. If I'm the bad guy and my gun goes off, I'm not running. I'm getting even with the guy who caused the damage. Maybe the "abductors" weren't the guys with the gun??? Who knows. This story gets more and more confusing every time I think it through.

I too am not comfortable after dark outside the Disney private grounds. The locals come in and some of them , as in any city, can be a seedy bunch just looking to intimidate the tourist. I never had much liking for PI and DTD after dark.

Ed
06-11-2007, 06:50 PM
The story starts, "Two young tourists from Connecticut ". But they were known druggies by the local police??? Now are the rumors getting a little confused?......If I'm the bad guy and my gun goes off, I'm not running. I'm getting even with the guy who caused the damage.

To clarify, the male victim is known by his home town police, not the WDW area police.

And the gun issue is exactly what raised a big red flag with me when I read it.

SBETigg
06-11-2007, 08:45 PM
I thought it sounded odd when the news said the couple was walking back to their hotel through the Downtown Disney parking area. The details didn't seem to fit somehow. Interesting. And a reminder that we all need to be on guard, even on vacation.

pdrlkr
06-11-2007, 10:25 PM
:shake::shake:

johnO
06-12-2007, 10:40 AM
Sounds like the Police suspect a "Dope Rip" in this case. The fact remains however that it's quite unfortunate that someone selling drugs can set up shop in the DTD parking lot.

I guess the cops there are all sitting underneath oaktrees trying to avoid being sued or brought up on charges for catching criminals. What a sad state of affairs :shake:

Things like this would be less frequent if the bleeding hearts would stop "handcuffing" the police and let them do their job. But this is what happens when your society allows a generation to glorify a culture of drugs, gangs and violence.

iceicebritney
06-12-2007, 11:13 AM
ok now its getting even more scarey (and i didnt think that was possible)

not only do we have men driving around with guns in the DTD parking lot, but now its known as a place for drug dealers to sit and addicts to score??

SurferStitch
06-12-2007, 11:54 AM
not only do we have men driving around with guns in the DTD parking lot, but now its known as a place for drug dealers to sit and addicts to score??
It's not surprising at all. Take a look at a lot of the locals who come to DTD at night. There is quite a seedy bunch that hangs out there, and we see them cruising the parking lot when we walk out to the bus stops at night. We've also noticed a larger police presence late at night when we walk to the bus stop on our last couple trips to WDW.

You'd be amazed where you'll find gun-toting drug dealers....around playgrounds, in the "nice" section of town, mall/department store/grocery store parking lots....anywhere. The parking lot and clubs of DTD are definitely no different. Just be smart, and you'll be fine.

GrumpyFan
06-12-2007, 12:29 PM
ok now its getting even more scarey (and i didnt think that was possible)

not only do we have men driving around with guns in the DTD parking lot, but now its known as a place for drug dealers to sit and addicts to score??

Whoa there! Let's not jump to conclusions here. Your're basing your fear on a "supposed" story that is still being unravelled, and at this point has a lot of suspicion involved. Disney hasn't responded, nor has anyone been able to confirm their story.

Not that tourists/guests shouldn't ALWAYS be cautious at DTD and anywhere else for that matter, but at this point we really don't know truth from fiction in this story.

Belle_0717
06-12-2007, 01:36 PM
When DH and I were at DTD last month, there were several (more than 10) officers on bikes plus on foot as we walked through West Side to SSR. I am always on guard - no matter what. WDW is like home but even at home you never know what is going to happen.

Thing is - - no one is saying where the guests were staying. Perhaps they were staying OFF Property - say across the street from DTD. There are many missing details. Just remember on your next trip - don't talk to strangers in cars!

dixielandings
06-13-2007, 01:26 PM
I remember being a little worried when Disney built Pleasure Island. It seemed so inconsistent with the rest of the World - at least to me. Now it's such a shady place - the only place I enjoy going is to the original Marketplace and then only briefly. And I certainly don't like to be there at night. This is just unfortunate.

Ian
06-13-2007, 02:58 PM
Quite honestly, after the last few times I've gone to PI at night, I would no more consider going there after dark anymore than I would consider driving down into the worst part of Philly at midnight.

It attracts a seedy, seedy crowd and shady looking people. Actually, I find the whole area (after dark) a little disgusting. That whole place is just SO not what Disney World is supposed to be about.

I often wonder if the current rennovation PT is undergoing is intended to try and drive away some of the undesirables that seem to have set up shop there.

mttafire
06-13-2007, 03:56 PM
Quite honestly, after the last few times I've gone to PI at night, I would no more consider going there after dark anymore than I would consider driving down into the worst part of Philly at midnight.

It attracts a seedy, seedy crowd and shady looking people. Actually, I find the whole area (after dark) a little disgusting. That whole place is just SO not what Disney World is supposed to be about.

I often wonder if the current rennovation PT is undergoing is intended to try and drive away some of the undesirables that seem to have set up shop there.
I agree with that!! I made the same comment to my wife. IMHO, Disney was hopefully either pricing out the bad folks OR do exactly as you've stated."concerning the rennovation"drive them away. We will have to wait and see...Honestly though, We are NEVER at DTD after 8pm. We actually arent there when there are "issues". By 8 oclock were ready to unwind for the next day.."park day!"

Figment!
06-13-2007, 07:48 PM
WFTV
June 12, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Connecticut police admit they made a mistake when they said a man abducted from Downtown Disney Sunday morning had a history of drug arrests.

A detective from the North Branford Police Department called Eyewitness News Monday and said he didn't believe the victims' story was necessarily true because the man involved had a history of drug arrests.

That detective called back Tuesday and said he'd made a mistake and mis-identified the man.

Orange County deputies and Disney said they are taking the abduction claim very seriously.

Disney said it will re-evaluate its security plan after two tourists from Connecticut said they were abducted from Downtown Disney.

The theme park has an army of security guards and off duty sheriff's deputies who the keep the grounds safe. Still, 20-year-olds Justin Stetzer and Jessica Dellacamera, of Branford, Connecticut, said they were forced into a car very early Sunday morning, beaten, robbed and then left at an Osceola County landfill.

The couple said they walked to a nearby home and begged for help. The homeowner didn't want to be identified, but explained what happened next.

"He was bloody. He had blood on his face, blood on his chest, and she was like, 'Please, please, can we come in? Can we use the phone?'" said the woman who did not want to be identified. "I didn't open the door because I was scared, but I told them I'd call police."

The couple said they were forced to go to at least two ATMs and withdraw money. Deputies were looking to see if there is surveillance video of the attackers.

Many tourists said news that it could happen, even at Downtown Disney, was unsettling.

"Yeah, that bothers me," said Ohio tourist Jerry Pater.

"If it can happen there, it can pretty much happen anywhere," said Tampa tourist Jay Polizzi.

Orange County deputies said a crime in the Downtown Disney area is extremely rare. In fact, Disney is one of the most-heavily policed areas of the country.

Disney officials said they are concerned about the story and will work with deputies to prevent any future attacks.

After the story was on WFTV.com, websites nationwide reported the abductions. Orlando's Convention and Visitor's Bureau said it has not received any calls from concerned visitors or from media outside the area.

robhink
06-13-2007, 09:10 PM
Victims of Downtown Disney kidnapping decide not to prosecute
Henry Pierson Curtis
Sentinel Staff Writer

June 13, 2007

The victims of a recent robbery and kidnapping at Downtown Disney have decided not to prosecute if the Orange County Sheriff's Office captures their abductors.

"They both signed DOI's within the past hour," sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday. DOI stands for declination of intent, a form stating that victims decline to prosecute.

The abduction early Sunday of Jessica DellaCamera and Justin Stetzer, tourists from Connecticut, attracted national attention after they reported being taken at gunpoint from Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World's shopping and nightclub center.

They told investigators that three men forced them into a car and drove them to withdraw cash from ATMs before leaving them in a dump in nearby Osceola County, where the men beat them. They also told investigators they fought back and escaped when one of their abductors' guns fired accidentally, according to the sheriff's office.

"When you get down to the bottom line we still consider them victims," Solomons said, noting that DellaCamera and Stetzer, both 20 years old, showed signs of having been beaten.

The couple, who were visiting Walt Disney World with DellaCamera's parents, decided not to go any further with the investigation after they were asked to provide facial details for composite sketches of the robbers and to undergo voice stress analysis, a form of lie-detector test, according to the sheriff's office.

GrumpyFan
06-13-2007, 10:27 PM
Something smells really fishy here.
Unfortunately, it still leaves a bit of a black eye for Disney.

TiggerRPh
06-14-2007, 12:46 AM
Something smells really fishy here.
Unfortunately, it still leaves a bit of a black eye for Disney.


This didn't smell right from the start for me.

GrumpyFan
06-14-2007, 12:56 AM
This didn't smell right from the start for me.

:ditto:

Catzle
06-14-2007, 01:27 PM
While we were waiting for the buses last month we were directed over to an area to pick them up we hadn't been before and while we waited, it was about 11:30 p.m., there were several times where I didn't feel comfortable waiting with my kids there. I think there should be some sort of security.

disneyfan369
06-14-2007, 03:14 PM
It's really odd that they decided to stop cooperating with the police. Something is not right in that situation!

knhund
06-15-2007, 04:52 AM
Something doesn't feel right here...

When I initially read this article published at WESH.com (1:47 p.m. EDT June 11, 2007) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19155278/from/ET/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19155278/from/ET/)
which stated; "The nightmare for the two 20-year-olds began as they walked back to their hotel room from Pleasure Island. Investigators said a car pulled up and three men forced the couple inside with a gun and took them on a 15-minute ride that ended at an Osceola County landfill".

WDW property is very large and encompases approximately 42 square miles of roadway alone (if my sources are correct). I am familiar with this property, Downtown Disney's location, and have seen many aerial photos since the inseption of Windows Live. The time frame of 15-minutes to get from there to an Osceola County landfill just doesn't seem right for all of this to have happened. Just to get off WDW property seems to take longer than that.

Not to say this horrifying ordeal did not happen, it just doesn't feel right.

firefan43
06-15-2007, 10:35 AM
a while back there was a discussion about DTD going down hill. It was mostly defended by the locals who post here, but pretty much everyone else agreed that they need to close it off to NON WDW guests. Would also be a pretty good idea to enforce some sort of parking policy like needing your park ticket from that day or something to ENTER the parking lot.

Ive seen some pretty disgusting things at Pleasure Island. I saw two old gang member looking guys following around a group of teenage girls and saying some pretty innappropriate things. Ive seen people vomiting on the sidewalk. I have seen teenage boys throwing stuff at the other guests.

Something needs to be done.

DisneyKim22
06-15-2007, 09:03 PM
I think I'm both suprised and not surprised by all of this. Naturally, I am suprised that it would happen on Disney property - but then again I am not suprised because stuff like this can happen anywhere. I haven't spent any time in PI in the last 6 years, and I rarely go to the Westside, so I'm surprised to hear that it's gone downhill. Maybe not suprised, but definitely sad. Typically, I go to the Marketplace and that's about it. It saddens me that this stuff happens anywhere. I agree the story sounds very fishy. Who decides not to press charges when they were robbed, beaten and left at a landfill? I am not a litigious person, but I would press charges to the full extend of the law!!

I guess it all comes down to the fact that even Disney can't keep out the crazies and malicious personalities. Trust but keep one eye open at all times! :unsure:

tink4me
06-15-2007, 11:25 PM
Its scary to think of the real world seeping into the world of Disney. No matter what the circumstance surrounding the incident is it still leaves an bad feeling. untill disney does something to clean up the PI area I won't be going there late. There is always Jellyrolls...

Cinderelley
06-28-2007, 12:45 AM
It's really odd that they decided to stop cooperating with the police. Something is not right in that situation!

I know it sounds odd, but as a victim of a violent crime, I can say at some point you want to try to forget that it ever happened, and doing all that stuff with the police doesn't allow you to. It's just a way to try to cope with the situation. Obviously not the best way, but a way.

mookie
06-28-2007, 01:38 PM
yikes, I had NOT heard much about this til now, and we were going to p.i. tonight...we'll stick together. :(