BAY COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) — A woman was taken into custody after she allegedly dressed up as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer and kidnapped her ex-boyfriend’s wife.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, on April 10, deputies responded to the Bridge Plaza Apartments and spoke with the victim, who claimed Latrance Battle showed up at her workplace posing as an ICE agent. Battle reportedly wore a shirt with ICE written on the front, showed the victim a sheriff’s office business card, and carried a handheld radio.
Battle allegedly told the victim she had to come with her, and the victim complied because she “genuinely felt as if Latrance was an ICE agent at the time and she is in the process of becoming a legal United States resident.”
The victim attempted to contact her attorney and husband by phone, but Battle allegedly “forcefully snatched” it away.
Battle told the victim she was taking her to the sheriff’s office, but instead, Battle went to the Bridge Plaza Apartments. The victim reportedly “suspected something was wrong,” and she managed to flee when Battle went into an apartment.
Deputies apprehended Battle the next day while she was driving to Alabama. She’s in custody at the Bay County Jail on charges of kidnapping in commission of a felony, robbery by sudden snatching, impersonating a law enforcement officer in commission of a felony, and felony violation of probation.
Bay County Capt. Stephen Jencks told WMBB-TV that the victim’s husband and Battle know each other. He described it as a “targeted, particular incident,” adding, “We’re not concerned about anything else like this happening. But she did pick her victim.”
WOFL-TV reports the victim called her husband when she got to safety, and he said the ICE agent resembled his ex-girlfriend, Battle. Court documents reportedly note the victim’s husband had an injunction against Battle due to “issues they had in the past.”
Bay County court records show Battle’s bond was set at $85,000, and she is not allowed to have any contact with the victim.