Aaron Perez: Man Holds Mom Hostage With Machete Over eBay Purchases

Aaron Perez, a 19-year-old Illinois man, held his mother hostage with a machete over a dispute involving eBay purchases Saturday night.

In what local Police Chief Tom Weitzel called “one of the most bizarre domestic situations I have ever seen in my 30 years at the Riverside Police Department,” Perez allegedly grew irate with his mother when she refused to log in to her eBay account and buy her son some items he was obviously desperate to have.

The items included a $4,000 costume mask and some basketball cards.

When Perez’s mother refused, saying she did not have the money to make the purchases, Perez allegedly told her, “Things are gonna go my way.” At that point, he grabbed a machete and first robbed her of $130 in cash. But $130 isn’t enough when a man needs a $4,000 costume mask and some basketball cards. Perez then held his own mother hostage in her bedroom, and, using the machete, forced her to sign into her eBay account and purchase the items. And, to let her know he meant business, Perez sliced up his mother’s bed sheets.

“The adult son literally held his mother captive in the home armed with a machete and went so far as to slice the bedroom sheets on the bed in front of her to make his point that he would harm her,” said the Chief of Police.

Once Perez had gotten what he wanted from his mother — and her eBay account — his mother managed to break free. She fled from her bedroom and out of the house. Once she reached her car she locked the door. Perez had followed her, and, from the safety of her locked car, she persuaded her son to drop the machete. Perez eventually did so, and, at that point, his mother allowed him in the car. Her intentions were to drive them both to a relative’s house, where Perez could calm down.

However, as they were driving, Perez began to argue with her and the arguments escalated. At that point, rather than taking her son to the home of a relative, the mother drove them both to a nearby police station, where, upon arrival, she dialed 911 and said she was being held hostage.

“The mother, who was in fear of her life the entire time this incident took place, acted as calm as she could and I credit her with her actions that led to the arrest of her son,” Police Chief Weitzel said in a statement.

Aaron Perez is charged with felony counts of kidnapping, armed robbery, unlawful restraint and intimidation, as well as misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault with a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon, police said. He is currently being held on a $50,000 bond.

As frightening as this incident must have been for the mother of Aaron Perez, another mother was not as fortunate. Click here to read about the mother whose own son decapitated her because, according to him, she nagged him too much.

[Image via Shaw Media]