FEBRUARY 24, 2026 UPDATE:
A man has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping and child abuse charges in Fernley.
Guillermo Aboytes-Saavedra was sentenced in the Third Judicial District Court in Fernley on Monday, according to a release from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office.
Aboytes-Saavedra was sentenced to three consecutive terms of five years to life in prison. The consecutive sentences mean he must serve a minimum of 15 years in prison before consideration for parole.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE (MAY 7, 2025):
Lyon County deputies arrested a man who allegedly kidnapped and beat three kids.
Investigators say three kids were forced into the kidnapper's crawl space for an hour before deputies rescued them.
Thankfully the Lyon County Sheriff's Office says all three kids are now safe with their families.
Sheriff Brad Pope says it all started around 6 p.m. when a man approached three kids at a neighborhood park and immediately became aggressive, "Slapped one of them in the face and started threatening basically, said he was a cartel member."
The Sheriff's Office has identified the suspect as Guillermo Aboytes Saavedra.
One of the kids told officers that Saavedra told them he wasn't afraid of going to jail and if that happened then he would kill them.
According to investigators, Saavedra then told the kids they're going for a walk and to act normal and not look at any cars.
Sheriff Pope says the kids were getting scared and felt they had no choice but to do so.
"He guided them over to a residence in Fernley, Nevada. Made them jump the fence and get into the backyard," said Sheriff Pope.
Saavedra then allegedly began beating all three kids with a broken rake handle and a hand scythe. Afterwards the kids were forced in the crawl space.
"He forced the juveniles in the crawl space of the residence and locked them up in there and would take them out one at a time and continue to beat them," the sheriff said.
Pope says at one point, Saavedra even took one of the kid's phones to record the beatings.
One of the kids called 911 while in the crawl space. Deputies tracked their phone, arrested Saavedra, and sent the kids to the hospital.
Sheriff Pope says they don't know yet if Saavedra may have been intoxicated or suffering from mental health issues.
And it is unknown if they know each other.
"We can't find a link, not to say one doesn't exist, but we haven't found a link to the suspect and the victims yet," he said.
Sheriff Pope says if you're ever hurt or threatened by anyone then immediately call 911 and get as far away from that person as possible.
We'll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more on this case
