New details revealed in Ayvani Perez kidnapping case

CLAYTON COUNTY — The Clayton County teenager kidnapped for 33 hours spent much of her ordeal blindfolded and was transported to at least two locations by as many as five  people, according to FBI agents.

Kidnappers released 14-year-old Ayvani Perez unharmed.  Agents arrested 29-year-old Wildrego Jackson and charged him with being heavily involved in the kidnapping, though so far, they do not believe he is one of the two men who actually broke into Perez's Ellenwood home and abducted her at gunpoint after demanded money and jewelry and killing her dog, Ella.

Jackson appeared in Federal Magistrate Court Thursday hoping a judge would release him on bond.

But prosecutor Katherine Hoffer put an FBI agent on the stand who revealed new details about the crime itself.  He said four or five people were involved and at least one of them is a woman.

"We believe she was taken from at least one apartment or one location to a different location and that a woman was with her at that second location," said Hoffman.

The agent also testified that they recovered two cellphones from Jackson at the time of his arrest.  He said records show both were in use at the time of the kidnapping and both pinged off the cellphone tower closest to Perez's home.

"Those two phones were calling each other right after the kidnapping," said Hoffer.  "They were also both hitting off the cellphone tower that services the area of the victim's residence."

The FBI also revealed that the kidnappers made nine ransom calls.  Five of those calls, said the agent, were recorded by the FBI.  He also testified that he recognized Jackson's voice on one of those recordings.

"He had actually been in the same room with Mr. Jackson and spoken with him at length," said Hoffer.  "The moment he listened to the ransom calls after speaking with Mr. Jackson, he said, I know that's him.  What he recognized was the pitch and the tone and just the general inflections of his voice."

Hoffer also revealed Jackson has 33 prior felony arrests, including six for failing to appear in court.  After weighing the evidence, Judge Russell Vineyard refused to grant Jackson bond.

"I didn't think there was much chance that Mr. Jackson was going to get bond based on his criminal history, which is extremely long," said Hoffer.

Law enforcement continue to search for the others involved in the kidnapping.

WSBTV