EDMONTON – Kidnapping, assault, and extortion: these are just some of the charges being laid in connection with an incident this weekend involving an Edmonton businessman.
Alexander Davidoff, who is president of the Glenora Skyline Development Corporation as well as Design Jewellers, was allegedly abducted from west Edmonton on Sunday.
It’s reported Davidoff met with business associates that day. But when he missed another scheduled appointment a little later, his family became concerned and reported him missing that evening.
It wasn’t until Tuesday morning, though, that police found the 62-year-old, alive but beaten, in a home just outside Sherwood Park.
During the 36 hours he was missing, it’s alleged his life was threatened and he was physically assaulted by the two suspects.
Once detectives found out where he and his alleged abductors were, the RCMP Emergency Response Team was called in. One nearby resident estimates seeing well over a dozen dozen tactical officers and RCMP blocking off entrances to the normally quiet neighbourhood. He says some neighbours who were trying to leave for work around 6 a.m. were told to go back inside.
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“Neighbours who are right beside where the incident was happening, around 6:30, they got a phone call from police saying to just go in their basements,” Mark Pivovar said. “So something was going down, we all knew that.”
He added that the home stood out on the street.
“It’s probably a million dollar house. It’s a huge house, but just some of the outside work has never been finished for the past two years, like it’s sloppy…You wouldn’t suspect it at all in that neighbourhood.”
Raheel Khalon, 26, and David Chipere, 41, have been charged with kidnapping, extortion, unlawful confinement, assault causing bodily harm and three counts each of uttering death threats. Chipere was also charged with breach of recognizance.
The two men appeared briefly in court Wednesday and are scheduled to be back again Thursday morning.
Davidoff, meanwhile, was released from hospital Tuesday evening after being treated for minor injuries.
Police believe the alleged kidnappers knew the businessman, but are still waiting to speak with him to find out more.
“We haven’t really had a chance to talk to him because he had been missing for over a days period and he hadn’t really had any sleep,” said Detective Regan Owen of the Robberies Section. “And we weren’t sure how much he had been able to eat and drink, and he wasn’t in a position to provide us an interview at this in time.”
“As for a motive – we have an idea, we can speculate,” added Owen, “but apart from speculation, without talking to him, we’re going to have a difficult time coming up with a motive.”
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