Two people face kidnapping and assault-related charges after a maintenance worker heard the woman calling for help, authorities and court records say.
FARGO, N.D. — A maintenance worker who heard cries for help at a Fargo apartment building led police to a woman chained to a bed who told investigators she had been held against her will for about two years, according to police and court records cited by news organizations.
The woman was found Nov. 3 inside a south Fargo apartment after the maintenance worker entered the unit while conducting routine work, according to reports citing court documents. Police said the woman had a chain secured around her ankle and attached to the bed. A security camera was pointed toward the bed, and the bedroom windows were covered with foil. Officers freed the woman and took her to a hospital for evaluation.
Authorities arrested Arturo Calzada-Becerril, 40, and Erendira Amoles, 41, in connection with the case. Local court reporting says both were charged with kidnapping. Calzada-Becerril also faces a domestic violence assault charge involving bodily injury, while Amoles faces a simple assault charge. The criminal allegations have not been proven in court.
The woman told investigators through a translator that Calzada-Becerril, whom she identified as her former husband, brought her to Fargo from Mexico in 2024. She said she had not been allowed outside for about two years. According to court documents cited by local media, she said she was initially allowed out of the bedroom at times but eventually was kept inside it.
She told investigators that Calzada-Becerril brought her food twice a day and that she had to use a bucket because she could not leave the bedroom to use a bathroom. Investigators reported seeing bruises on her face and body after she was taken to the hospital. The woman also accused Calzada-Becerril and Amoles of physically and sexually assaulting her. Those allegations remain part of the criminal investigation and have not been established at trial.
Amoles arrived at the apartment after police had found the woman, according to reports citing court records. Investigators alleged that Amoles acknowledged locking the woman in the room that day so she would not leave. Calzada-Becerril also told investigators that the woman had been restrained to prevent her from running away, according to the records. Both defendants separately alleged that the woman had previously assaulted them, including an incident in which they said she had a knife.
Prosecutors said during the defendants’ first court appearance Nov. 6 that the woman is an American citizen and alleged she had been kept captive in connection with an effort to obtain immigration benefits, according to local reporting. Authorities have not publicly established that allegation as fact, and the precise circumstances surrounding the woman’s arrival in Fargo remain part of the case.
Neighbors at the apartment complex told local reporters they had not known a woman was allegedly being confined nearby. One resident said the property had regular security patrols, adding to neighbors’ surprise that the alleged confinement could have continued for such a long period without being discovered.
A judge set bond at $500,000 for each defendant during their Nov. 6 court appearance, according to local reporting. Court records reviewed by People showed Calzada-Becerril and Amoles had pleaded not guilty to their respective assault charges, while plea information for the kidnapping-related charges was not listed. The investigation remains ongoing.