Crime & Law

Illinois Man Planned to Take Train From Chicago to Florida in Plot to Kidnap Small Child for Ransom: Prosecutors

(WTTW News)

An Illinois man arrested over the weekend at Union Station planned to travel to Florida using a new Amtrak route connecting Chicago and Miami so he could kidnap a child at random and hold them for a $100,000 ransom, federal authorities have alleged.

Devontay Shields, 35, of Danville, Illinois, has been charged with one count of attempted kidnapping, according to a criminal complaint filed over the weekend in Chicago’s federal court.

According to federal prosecutors, Shields earlier this month met with individuals and asked them to provide him with money so he could travel to Fort Lauderdale and kidnap a child from a school there for ransom.

What Shields did not know, prosecutors said, was that the people he approached were cooperating with federal investigators.

In text messages those individuals provided to the FBI, Shields allegedly explained his plan, stating he wanted to “grab one of the kids” and explaining that it would be easier to target a “smaller” child because “we can convince them with candy and toys when we take them from the school.”

“... it will be easier to control them all of the parents is rich there,” Shields continued in his text message, a copy of which was included in the complaint.

Shields agreed to meet with one of the federal cooperators on Nov. 12 and during that meeting — which was secretly recorded — allegedly stated “imma get me a little boy.” Shields sought $1,000 and said he could either travel by bus or plane down to Florida, the complaint states.

“During the conversation, Shields confirmed that he would be requesting a ransom of $100,000,” federal authorities stated in the complaint. “Shields stated he believed it would take approximately three or four days to receive the ransom.”

Later that day, Shields allegedly purchased a pair of child toys from a Target in Homewood, according to prosecutors, and the following day, he allegedly bought a BB gun and zip ties.

In another recorded conversation from Nov. 16, Shields stated that he had booked a hotel and rental car for himself in Florida and that he intended to seek out a random child there “as soon as I touch down.”

“I’m trying to make sure I hear that over the TV before nighttime,” he allegedly stated.

Shields allegedly stated that after he got the ransom payment, he would drive back to Illinois, but if it “get(s) too hot,” then he would take a train back instead.

“If I can’t drive,” he allegedly stated, according to the complaint, “get dropped off at the Amtrak, get my ticket and I’m gone.”

He then purchased Amtrak tickets for a train departing Saturday from Chicago and heading to Miami — a new service line which launched just this month — but was arrested by authorities at Union Station as he attempted to board that train.

The toys, zip ties and BB gun were all found in his possession following that arrest, prosecutors alleged, but Shields denied knowing anything about a kidnapping plot.

Shields is currently being held in federal custody. He faces up to 20 years in prison and is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing Nov. 25.

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