3 of 4 accused of kidnapping UT student enter guilty pleas

3/28/2014

BOWLING GREEN — Three of four Toledoans charged with kidnapping and robbing a University of Toledo student from China pleaded guilty Thursday to a reduced charge of abduction.

Brittany J. Long, 20, and her brother, Blake L. Long, 21, both of 5357 Florita Dr., and Nicholas H. Martinez, 19, of 1035 Park Lane are to be sentenced June 17 by Wood County Common Pleas Judge Robert Pollex. A charge of aggravated robbery each had faced is to be dismissed at that time.

Prosecutors said that, through an online chat room, the trio promised Kun Liu a trip to Cedar Point, but instead lured him to a vacant house in Bowling Green last Aug. 18, where they tried to obtain ransom from his family in China.

A fourth co-defendant, Hui Zhang, 24, of 1540 Penn Rd. is scheduled to go to trial April 2 on charges of kidnapping and aggravated robbery. As part of their plea agreements, the three co-defendants agreed to testify against Ms. Zhang, according to Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson.